Gov. Crist of Florida to lead trade delegation to Brazil: biofuels in focus

In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist will lead a 200-person trade delegation to Brazil this week, with meetings with government leaders and business executives commencing in Sao Paulo. Brazil is Florida’s largest foreign trading partner, with the state exporting more than $8 billion to Brazil last year.

Gov. Crist, Gov, Schwartzenegger of California and Gov. Rendell of Pennsylvania have been among the national biofuel leaders outside of the corn-belt states of the Midwest. Crist, a Republican, has faced substantial criticism within his party. Florida House Republican leader Marco Rubio this summer blasted Republican Governor Charlie Crist for his Florida biofuels initiatives.

Crist’s predecessor, Gov. Jeb Bush, is serving as a member of the International Ethanol Commission which has a goal of eliminating the US-Brazilian ethanol tariff.

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