DOVER, Del. (AP) - Gov. Jack Markell is being honored this week at a gathering to celebrate the Greater Philadelphia region's trade and cultural ties with the Republic of Chile.
Markell is scheduled to travel to Philadelphia on Tuesday to receive the 16th Annual "Friend of Chile" award from the Chilean and American Chamber of Commerce.
The award comes roughly a year after Markell welcomed Chile's ambassador to the United States to the Port of Wilmington to await the arrival of the first Chilean fruit vessel for the 2012-2013 season.
Wilmington's port is a leading gateway for imports of Chilean fruit to the U.S. Officials say the Chilean fruit trade through Wilmington generates hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in wages and business revenue.