US Secretary of Commerce: Greece offers opportunities for top tourism investment

US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross referred to wide margins for greater American investment in Greece, speaking to "Naftemporiki" newspaper on the sidelines of his official visit over the past weekend to Thessaloniki, where he represented Washington at a major trade fair opening in the northern port city. The US is the honored nation at this year's 83rd Thessaloniki International Fair. Two major announcements concerning US investment in Greece came during the first weekend of the trade fair, the first involved NYC-based ONEX Shipyards, which expressed a high-profile interest in acquiring the troubled Elefsina and Skaramanga shipyards (west of Piraeus). At the same time, the head of the state-controlled Public Gas Corp. (DE.PA) said the utility was in "advanced talks" with LNG export giant Cheniere. The US multinational, according to DE.PA CEO Dimitris Tzortzis, has also expressed an interest in port activity concessions at northeast ports of Alexandroupolis and Kavala. ONEX is set to assume the management of the small shipyard on the Greek island of Syros. Ross, on his part, pointed out Greece presents opportunities for high-quality investments, such as in tourism, infrastructure and energy, with the participation of 55 top US companies at the TIF exhibition confirming American interest. In response to a question regarding repercussions on US-Europe trade from the imposition of higher tariffs by the Trump administration on a series of European products, Ross said he was "encouraged" by recent developments arising from talks between the two sides. In side-stepping a question on whether Greek products - such as high-end industrial cables - will be excluded from the new tariff regime as a sign of goodwill, Ross merely argued that tariffs aimed to protect US national security and defend US businesses from unfair trade practices and transactions, especially in the steel and aluminum sector. In echoing the standing line of the US administration, he added the goal is to eliminate tariffs, subsidies and non-tariffs obstacles in cross-Atlantic trade. Read more at naftemporiki.gr RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: United States Patent and Trademark Office License: CC-BY-SA