(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natacha Seijas, Chair of the Jay Malina International Trade Consortium (ITC), will meet with the Honorable Wilfred Peter Elrington, Attorney General and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Belize on Thursday, June 24, 2010. Minister Elrington will be accompanied by Belizean Ambassador Nestor Mendez, Beverly Burke, Director of Information & Promotion, Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), and Janine Sylvestre, Honorary Consul of Belize in Florida. Minister Elrington is visiting South Florida as part of the first official visit of the Prime Minister of Belize, the Honorable Dean Barrow. The purpose of this meeting is to explore opportunities for investment, trade, and tourism between Miami-Dade County and the nation of Belize. ITC Chair will also host a meeting coordinated by ITC, with Minister Elrington and the members of this high-level delegation, and the key economic development agencies in Miami-Dade County.

In 2009 total trade with Belize and South Florida was over $133 million. Belize's top exports include sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood, and crude oil, while top imports include machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, beverages, and tobacco. "I look forward to receiving Minister Elrington and his delegation, and I feel confident that their visit will result in advancing our economic and cultural ties with Belize," Commissioner Seijas said.