IBS North America
International Business Strategy

EXPLORING THE USA is a special focus published by Exportiamo.it, web-magazine of IBS, to explore the business opportunities of all 50 American states awaiting the Election’s day on 8th November.

We want to present a brief summary of each state. We start from the first: IOWA

Let’s go!

Iowa is a small Midwestern state of 3.1 million people - according to the latest data available in 2014 - land of farm, ranch and here there is the largest number of pigs farmers and wheat’s producers from across the United States.

In 2014, Iowa’s exports by value were to amount to 15.1 billion dollars, while the main destination markets were Canada (4.6 billion), Mexico (2.3 billion), China (943 million) and Brazil (502 million). The companies involved in international activities were approximately 3,500, of which almost all (83%) are SMEs with less than 500 employees.

Iowa is rich in mineral resources (limestone, sand, gravel, gypsum and coal) but the most significant item of the economy is agriculture, which accounts for 5% of the state GDP and cultivated (corn land , hay, oats, sugar beet, wheat and fruit) occupy 75% of the state’s surface and as mentioned the other important resource is the farming of pigs and cattle, while forestry - especially timber for construction and cabinet making - and fishing are less important.

Iowa is also innovative and it’s easy to do business as the lowest costs to businesses operating there, relying on a skilled workforce and a labor law and a dynamic and flexible business climate that encourages the installation of new production facilities.

In recent years thanks to a careful policy of incentives and investments, Iowa has established itself as a pioneer in the field of renewable energy and as the first state in the nation to wind generation and the development of the entire value chain related to the wind power generation, a further asset in addition to proven logistic and strategic advantages to be found in the efficient and widespread network of interstate highways, in the recent investments in railway infrastructure, which ensure competitive costs in terms of transportation choices and access to markets, as demonstrated by the choice of many companies that are installed precisely because of the significantly lower cost compared to other cities of the US.