The National Governors Association (NGA) today announced a partnership with the State International Development Organizations (SIDO) to strengthen collaboration between governors and state international trade agencies, with the ultimate goal of increasing opportunities for international trade and economic development.
International trade plays an important role in economic development and job creation in the United States. U.S. exports account for nearly 13 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product and support an estimated 11.5 million jobs. Their efforts also helped to attract over $3.7 trillion in foreign investment, supporting millions of direct and in-direct jobs in the U.S.
NGA’s internationally focused office, NGA Global, will work with SIDO on a variety of initiatives, including coordinating annual events and acting as a joint resource to governors and their economic development representatives.
“NGA and SIDO have worked together closely in past years and we are excited to formalize this partnership,” said Scott Pattison, NGA CEO and Executive Director. “Solidifying our partnership with SIDO will emphasize the important relationship between governors and state trade directors, giving our governors more opportunities to bring trade into their states.”
“Our SIDO members are the thrilled with the launch of NGA Global and the added focus around international trade,” said David Mathe, President of SIDO and Export Director for Delaware. “Both of our organizations understand the important, and growing, role states play in international trade, and by partnering together, we can utilize our resources and create more opportunities for our members.”
“SIDO has been an affiliated organization of The Council of State Governments (CSG) since 2000,” said David Adkins, CSG CEO and Executive Director. “SIDO is a valued partner of CSG and we look forward to continued collaboration with SIDO and NGA as we work together to position the states to successfully navigate the global economy.”
The partnership between NGA and SIDO will also create new opportunities for governors and states to participate in key events, dialogues and policies, which will assist the shared mission to strengthen the role states play in international trade.
This partnership follows the launch of NGA Global in February 2018, which helped governors develop mutually beneficial trading partnerships to build their states’ economies. Learn more about NGA Global and the State International Development Organizations.
About NGA Global
NGA Global is the international office focused on the relationship between states and the international community. NGA is the bipartisan membership association of the nation’s governors.
About SIDO
The State International Development Organizations (SIDO) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, affiliated with The Council of State Governments, that represents the state’s international trade and economic development organizations.
