Governor Frank Murkowski - Alaska Trade and Development

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Alaska International Trade and Development - 2003 Exports Report

State of Alaska > Governor > Governor's Introduction

Message from the Governor
July 2006

Greetings,

The future has never been more optimistic for Alaska. We produce the resources that the world needs--seafood, minerals and precious metals, forests, fertilizers, and energy.

As economies around the globe prosper, so does Alaska’s trade. The value of our exports is growing at amazing rates--nine to fifteen percent annually in the last three years. Demand and prices are up and the value of Alaska’s exports reached a record high in 2005 at $3.6 billion.

I am proud of the Alaskans across the state who are making trade happen. International business is challenging and we Alaskans have proven again and again that we are successful at it. Whether we are working on a fishing boat, operating heavy equipment at a mine, exploring our vast array of natural resources, working in a refinery, building roads and airports, or inviting the world’s travelers to see our magnificent state, we are succeeding in world trade.

Governor Murkowski welcomed President of Taiwan Shui-bian Chen during the President’s September 2005 Alaska visit. President Chen addressed a luncheon of Alaska business leaders and officials during a flight stopover on his way to Florida.

Canadian Consul Karen Matthias (left) is the first consul of the Canadian Consulate, which was established in Anchorage in 2004. Pictured at the Alaska Fur & Ice International Dinner in Fairbanks with Governor and Mrs. Murkowski.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Anchorage in September 2005 and presented the Governor with a white scarf, or kata, a traditional Tibetan greeting symbolizing purity of intention, and a copy of his book, The Good Heart.

I am proud, too, of Alaska’s educational system and our international programs that prepare our students to know, understand, and compete in today’s world. Programs like the University of Alaska’s global logistics course or the Anchorage School District’s Japanese, Spanish, and Russian immersion classes create new futures and possibilities for students.

International investment in Alaska has been strong since the original Japanese investments five decades ago in forest products, seafood, and energy. Our long history of attracting international investment is recognition of the state’s stable and receptive business climate. As I meet with executives and leaders of international companies with significant investments in Alaska, they tell me they appreciate my administration’s openness and support of resource development.

I thank the companies and workers who keep Alaska competitive in the global marketplace. Congratulations to the 2005 winners of the Governor’s Exporter of the Year awards, Veco Corporation and Udelhoven Oilfield System Services.

They, too, are proving daily that Alaska can competitively export services and expertise around the world.

Sincerely yours,

Frank H. Murkowski
Governor