TRADE MISSION NOTES:

Selling Washington, creating jobs

Governor Chris Gregoire

08/30/10

As we make our final arrangements for our upcoming trade mission to China and Vietnam, I hope you’ll follow along and visit this blog frequently as we promote our products overseas to grow jobs here at home.

Our 10 days in Asia are packed with opportunities. We’ll meet key business leaders to sell Washington as the best place to do business, hold promotional events for consumers to sample our Washington-grown potatoes and seafood, and put our state’s economy front and center on a global stage at the Shanghai World Expo – an enormous venue which attracts 400,000 visitors a day from across the world!

Nearly 80 leaders representing large and small businesses, the agriculture industry and our education institutions are joining me for the trade mission. As you’ll hear from them, there is no alternative, especially in Asia, to face-to-face introductions to launch new business relationships.

We know these trade missions pay off. In 2005, when I last visited Asia, the trip resulted in more than $1 million in immediate new sales to customers in Japan and $6 million in new contracts with companies in China. And in the subsequent years, those new business relationships brought in $23 million in additional sales for Washington companies.

Follow along with us as we showcase Washington abroad to boost our economy here at home. I’ve asked participants to join me in updating this blog – and we’ll share pictures along the way.