Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 9, 1997
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Gov. Locke turns Shanghai spotlight on Washington trade desk

SHANGHAI — With seven days of high-level governmental meetings behind him, Gov. Gary Locke today turned the spotlight on the Washington State International Trade Desk in Shanghai. Trade offices in China are referred to as trade desks.

The governor was joined by two state agency directors who share the operation of the Shanghai trade desk – Tim Douglas of the Washington Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, and Jim Jesernig of the Washington Department of Agriculture.

"Commercial ties between Washington and China are growing rapidly, and this trade desk is designed to help Washington businesses get access to this increasingly important market," Locke said.

Washington was the first state to have an officially registered trade desk in China especially for small- and medium-sized companies. Maryland and Michigan also have trade desks in the country.

The Shanghai trade desk officially opened in March of this year. RenRen Zhang, a native of Shanghai who attended the University of Washington during his graduate study, manages the trade desk. Zhang worked with Chinese officials and business leaders to secure market access and obtain trading opportunities for Washington goods and services in China.

"I am greatly encouraged by the reception I have received from the Chinese government during the start-up of the desk," Zhang said. "We have been focusing on positioning Washington businesses to develop their market potential in China into the next millennium."

The Washington State International Trade Desk is located in the new U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Center in the Center/Portman Hotel Complex in the heart of Shanghai’s business district. Situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River in China’s southeastern region, Shanghai is China’s largest city and financial capital. It has a population of 13 million and is a major port city, providing an excellent opportunity for Washington’s shipping interests.

In 1996, state-of-origin exports from Washington to China exceeded $1.6 billion. As China develops and modernizes, the opportunity to export food and wood products, construction materials and industrial equipment is expected to grow rapidly.

Currently, nearly 23,000 Washington residents are directly employed by companies growing and manufacturing products for the Chinese market. This number does not include port, warehouse and transportation or distribution jobs in the state that are tied to imports from China.

The state also has international trade facilities in Russia, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico and Europe.

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