Tampa aerospace company Metrea Special Aerospace, which modifies and engineers aircraft for specialized missions, won an Australian government contract for advanced border surveillance capabilities that supports more than 500 U.S. jobs, including jobs at its Tampa facility, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The International Trade Administration helped Metrea secure the procurement in May through its Advocacy Center, which assists U.S. companies competing for foreign government business. Commerce disclosed the previously unannounced deal Aug. 26 but did not identify its value, how many systems Australia is buying or how many of the supported jobs are in Tampa.
Metrea’s deal is one piece of a broader federal push helping Tampa Bay companies win business overseas. Since the beginning of 2025, the same Commerce program has helped RTX connect with allied governments and sign $2.6 billion in contracts, with some of the resulting work supporting jobs at Collins Aerospace’s Largo manufacturing center.
That foreign business is reaching Largo as RTX expands the facility. Collins Aerospace announced in May that it would invest $26.5 million there and add 100 jobs while increasing production of radars, network systems, mission processors and Identification Friend or Foe technology used in commercial and military systems.
Commerce is also helping Tampa companies sell overseas outside the defense sector. Amalie Oil Co., a Tampa lubricant manufacturer, uses the U.S. Commercial Service to support exports to more than 130 countries.
Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade William Kimmitt visited Metrea, Amalie and Collins Aerospace on Aug. 26 as the agency disclosed the companies’ foreign business. Commerce said the deals and exports highlighted during the visit support more than 10,000 U.S. jobs nationwide.