Foreign Trade & Transportation

• 473 foreign-owned firms are located in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.  These firms provide over 24,800 jobs.  Click here to search International Firms. http://www.charlottechamber.com/content.cfm?category level id=185&contentid136
  
• Another 176 foreign-firms operate in the Metro Region (13 counties) surrounding Mecklenburg County.  These firms employ over 19,000 people and represent 20 different countries.
  
• A Foreign Trade Zone was established in Charlotte in September 1980.
  
• An inland port was opened in 1984.
  
• An intermodal terminal opened in early 1984.  More than 26,000 containers are handled at the port annually.
  
• Of the 1,274-manufacturing firms in Mecklenburg County, over 55% are involved with exporting or importing goods.
  
• The North Carolina World Trade Association - Charlotte Chapter, which promotes greater interest in international trade, is one of the largest in the nation. 
  
• In addition, Charlotte hosts the African, Asian-American, Asian-Indian, French American, Italy-America, Latin American, Swedish American, Swiss American and German American Chambers of Commerce, the British-American Business Council and a large number of other business and cultural organizations with an international focus.
  
• Charlotte is home to the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) in North Carolina.  Charlotte is the service port of US Customs for North Carolina.  This office opened in 1964.
  
• Charlotte-headquartered banks operate in 29 countries including these financial capitals: Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, México City, Milan, Paris, São Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo.  The two largest banks in Charlotte have almost $43 billion in foreign deposits. 
  
• International flights began out of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport in 1987.
  
• US Airways offers daily non-stop service to London, Frankfurt, Toronto, Montréal, and a large number of Caribbean destinations, including Belize, Cancún, Cozumél, Grand Cayman, Montego Bay, Nassau, Freeport, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San Juan, Punta Cana, Aruba and Turks Isles.  In the fall of 2003, US Airways launched daily non-stop service to México City.
  
• Air Canada operates three daily non-stop flights to Toronto.
• Lufthansa German Air Lines offers one daily non-stop to Munich.
  
• During 2004, Charlotte/Douglas International Airport recorded 25.1 million passengers enplaned, a 9% increase over 2003..

International Organizations

• Charlotte-Mecklenburg is home for the Honorary Consuls of Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Mexico, Nicaragua and Switzerland. 
  
• Over 300 cultural clubs, businesses and religious organizations serve Charlotte to foster and promote the social, cultural, educational and religious identity of internationals.
  
• The Mayor's International Cabinet is the Charlotte region's leading resource for promoting international business and international communities.  www.charlottemic.org
  
• The mission of Charlotte Sister Cities is to promote international cooperation, understanding, and development through a variety of dynamic exchanges with specific cities with which Charlotte maintains an active, formalized relationship. Charlotte's sister cities are the following: www.charlottesistercities.org 
  
                          Arequipa, Perú (1962)       Limoges, France (1992)
                          Krefeld, Germany (1985)      Wroclaw, Poland (1993) 
                          Baoding, China (1987)       Kumasi, Ghana (1995)   
                            Voronezh, Russia (1991)
  
• The World Affairs Council of Charlotte offers citizens personal contact with key figures and critical trends in foreign policy, international business and global culture.  www.charlotteworld.org 
  
• The North Carolina World Trade Association-Charlotte Chapter serves as a medium for the interchange of information for world trade, promotes an interchange of information, experience and opinions relating to world trade and promotes through all available means more trade for the greater Charlotte region.  www.cwta.org 
  
• International House provides information and referral services, English language tutoring, English and foreign language conversation hours, support groups, educational programs for adults and children and is an advocacy group for Internationals.  www.internationalcharlotte.org 
  
• Charlotte's religious community reflects the diversity described above. Click here for a list of the international religious communities/organizations in the Charlotte area.

International Community

• Over 10,000 refugees settled in North Carolina within the past ten years, approximately 1,000 to 1,200 per year.  Since 1975, approximately 7,000 settled in Mecklenburg County.
  
• Approximately 12% of Mecklenburg County's Population was born outside of the United States.  Of those Born Outside the US:
  
            69% entered the U.S. later than 1990
            54% are from Latin America
            23% are from Asia
            11% are from Africa
            10% are from Europe
  
• Approximately 14% of the population (Over 90,000 people) in Mecklenburg County speaks a language other than English at home.  Seven percent of the total population speaks Spanish, 3% speaks Indo-European Languages and 2% speaks Asian/Pacific Island Languages.
  
• Table of Mecklenburg County Population by Ancestry (PDF file)

Education

• Over 10,000 students who speak 83 different languages and represent 102 different countries attend Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
  
• A variety of public agencies and commercial organizations teach English as a second language in the Charlotte area.
  
• Approximately 720 international students study at UNCC from 50 different countries.  101 students from 28 countries participate in the English Language Training Institute.
  
• CPCC has approximately 6,480 international students enrolled from 160 countries.
  
• Eight international schools assist students in maintaining language skills and cultural identity while in Charlotte.  These include The Japanese Language School, The German School, The Chinese School, The Korean School, The French School,  The Russian School, The Swedish School, The Islamic School and The Vietnamese School.
  
• The Charlotte Mecklenburg School System has strengthened the city's international character by establishing three language immersion schools.  Collinswood Dual-Language Spanish Academy (K-5) enhances foreign language acquisition for English speaking students and maintains language skills of native Spanish students.  The Smith Academy of International Language (K-8) and West Mecklenburg Academy of International Language (9-12) instruct all courses in German, Spanish, French or Japanese.

This information gathered by the Charlotte Chamber
Resdata 10/03