Lawmakers and business leaders pitch Connecticut–Puerto Rico trade commission bill

Representative Christopher Rosario, speaking for House Bill 5,008, told the Commerce Committee he was seeking to establish a Connecticut–Puerto Rico Trade Commission to formalize and expand economic ties between the state and Puerto Rico. Representative Christopher Rosario said Connecticut is home to a sizable Puerto Rican community and to Connecticut firms with established activity on the island, and he asked the committee to consider a formal commission to promote trade and investment.

The bill’s supporters emphasized that Connecticut companies already do business in Puerto Rico and that a formal commission could coordinate trade and workforce connections. “By establishing the Connecticut and Puerto Rico Trade Commission, we can formalize existing…