Utah has become a magnet for international business, attracting global brands like Adobe, Amazon, Northrop Grumman, Texas Instruments, and Microsoft. Its business-friendly environment and multilingual workforce—speaking over 130 languages and nearly 49,000 K-12 students in dual language immersion programs—continue to draw significant international investment and trade.
In 2023, Utah companies exported $17.4 billion in goods, ranking 28th in the nation for international exports and outperforming larger neighboring states, despite being 30th in population. Notably, 85% of Utah’s 3,500-plus exporters are small- and medium-sized businesses. International trade supports over 430,000 jobs in the state.
Utah’s international trade strategy is based on diplomacy and protocol, promoting business and attracting foreign investment. The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) hosts over 40 diplomatic visits annually and partners with World Trade Center Utah for Gov. Cox’s trade missions.
Learn Why Utah stands out on the global stage.
In June 2023, Gov. Cox signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the United Kingdom Trade Minister Nigel Huddleston to boost trade and investment with the U.K. This MOU is the fifth such arrangement between the U.K. and a U.S. state and marks a milestone in the U.K. trade ties with Utah.
GOEO established four working groups with the British Consulate in Los Angeles to execute the MOU. These groups focus on procurement and trade barriers, aerospace and defense, academic collaboration and workforce development, and health and life sciences.
Read more about the outcomes of the MOU here.
In June 2023, Gov. Cox signed a Letter of Intent with President Renaud Muselier of France’s Région Sud. The LOI formalizes Utah’s relationship with Région Sud, an area that shares Utah’s leadership in tourism and innovation.
As a follow-up of the LOI, President Muselier led a French delegation to Utah to increase collaboration across education, film, tourism, and business.
Read more about the outcomes of the LOI here.
The Joint Utah-Mexico Partnership (JUMP) is an initiative between the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, the Mexican Consulate in Salt Lake City, and World Trade Center Utah. It focuses on four strategic areas of collaboration between Utah and Mexico — trade and business, talent and workforce, tourism and culture, and foreign language acquisition.
Gov. Cox unveiled the JUMP initiative on his 2023 trade mission to Mexico in partnership with the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Read the full JUMP initiative here.
