Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a multi-country tour—with stops in Japan, South Korea, Israel, and the United Kingdom—to promote economic ties between his state and the foreign nations.
The trade mission, organized in conjunction with Enterprise Florida, will take off next week.
“Florida has the 15th largest economy in the world, and that is because our state has worked to create partnerships with other countries to create jobs and boost the economy,” DeSantis said of the travel plans. “This trade mission will give us the opportunity to strengthen economic relationships and continue to demonstrate Florida’s position as an economic leader.”
The international trip comes in the wake of DeSantis having toured the country in recent weeks to promote his new book “The Courage To Be Free” and to present his record as Florida’s governor since 2019 as a model for other states to follow.
DeSantis’s busy travel schedule also comes amid widespread speculation that he is preparing to launch a run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. His tour has already brought him to the key state of Iowa, which will kick off the 2024 Republican primary race.
The multi-country tour could further raise DeSantis’s profile and allow the Florida governor to emphasize his state’s economy on a bigger stage. During the tour, DeSantis plans to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and U.K. Foreign Minister James Cleverly.
The governor’s office said bilateral trade between Florida and Japan exceeds $6.6 billion and Japan is Florida’s second-largest bilateral merchandise trade partner in the Asia-Pacific region and the state’s seventh-largest partner overall.
Merchandise trade between Florida and South Korea also exceeds $1.3 billion, making it Florida’s seventh-largest bilateral trade partner in the Asia and Middle East region.
Florida and Israel reached $651 million in bilateral trade in 2022 and the governor’s office estimates Israel is the 19th-largest foreign investor in the state of Florida. The DeSantis administration highlighted Israeli medical-device company INSIGHTEC having partnered with several Florida universities to study Alzheimer’s disease. DeSantis’s office also noted that Florida has a non-stop flight from Miami International Airport to Tel Aviv, which sustains business travel and tourism between the two destinations.
The UK is Florida’s eighth-largest trade partner, according to DeSantis’s office, with bilateral trade between Florida and the UK reaching $5.8 billion in 2022. British travelers have also been a boon to Florida’s tourism industry, and reportedly comprise the second-largest group of international visitors to Florida annually. Florida also has nine direct flights to England and Scotland through three international airports.
The DeSantis 2024 Question
It remains to be seen if DeSantis’s international trip is simply an opportunity to bring international business to his state or if he hopes the trip will serve as a springboard for a 2024 campaign.
Former President Donald Trump has also led in the majority of Republican 2024 primary polls. Though he hasn’t officially announced, DeSantis has consistently polled ahead of other candidates in the Republican 2024 field, but he still falls behind Trump.
In recent weeks, Trump has expanded his polling lead over DeSantis amid a surge in support after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted him on allegations of falsifying business records.
DeSantis led Trump 45 to 41 in a head-to-head match-up in the Yahoo News/YouGov poll in early February. By mid-March, a match-up (pdf) by the same pollsters had the two Republicans relatively close, but with Trump leading DeSantis 47 to 39. In the days surrounding Trump’s Manhattan criminal indictment, his lead over DeSantis reached 57 to 31 in the Yahoo News/YouGov poll. Trump’s lead over DeSantis has since slipped slightly in the same poll, with Trump ahead 52 to 36 in the pollster’s latest match-up between April 14 and 17.
Under Florida’s current laws, DeSantis would also have to consider a “resign-to-run” provision that would require him to step aside from the Florida governorship in order to seek federal office.