India one of Arizona's top 25 trade partners: Janice Brewer

BANGALORE: Arizona Governor Janice Brewer today said the purpose of her visit here is to foster opportunities to strengthen bilateral relationship with the country, one of Arizona's top 25 trade partners.

"India is one of Arizona's top 25 trade partners, we export 81 million dollars in products here, and import 167 million dollars in goods from India," she said at a Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry event here.

She said: "The global economy requires that we be increasingly cooperative, and I remain steadfastly committed to further strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship between Arizona and our valued partner India."

Stating that the future is in growth of high-tech sector trade, Brewer said India has great opportunity to expand in aerospace and defence industries."Even in renewable energy, in biosciences and optics fields that offer quality, high-paying jobs," she added.

Emphasising the need to boost trade among countries as the world economy recovers, she said: "In the past eight years, the value of global trade in goods has grown by an average annual rate of 12 per cent." "That's twice as fast as the global GDP."

To a question on India as investment destination,she said "I think it is good arena for investment, as I think Arizona is also good arena for investment to Indians, we are all thriving because of global market, by working together we can achieve greater highs."

Explaining the accomplishment of Arizona, she said, "when I took office in 2009, I inherited three Billion Dollar budget deficit;.....today Arizona is running a surplus of more than one Billion Dollars."

"Arizona is now rated the nation's best state for entrepreneurs and among the top ten for business owners," she added.