JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson will head to Japan on his sixth trade mission in mid-October, the governor told reporters Monday.
At a bill-signing event in his office, Parson said his latest overseas journey is aimed at boosting business connections between the two countries.
“We do a lot of business with Japan. I’m looking forward to it,” Parson said.
His comments came as he signed legislation that includes a provision designating the month of May as “Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”
Parson said it has been decades since a Missouri governor went to Japan, which exported an estimated $455 million in products to the state in 2022, according to the Missouri Partnership.
The state’s largest trading partner is Canada, followed by Mexico, China, Japan and Belgium.
Past governors to visit Japan include Republican John Ashcroft, who served as chief executive from 1985 to 1993. His trip included members of the St. Louis Symphony and is credited with helping lure Kawasaki Motors to build a small-engine plant in Maryville.
Missouri exported an estimated $394 million in products to Japan in 2022, including processed foods, chemicals, computers and electronics and machinery.
“I’m not sure why we really haven’t been over there to build those relationships,” Parson said.
Missouri currently is home to a Toyota engine plant in Troy, about 50 miles northwest of St. Louis.
The Japanese automaker purchased the 550,000-square-foot facility in 1990 from Bodine Aluminum Inc. Its 1,000 workers build four-cylinder engine heads on three production lines.
Missouri companies doing business in Japan include Enterprise, Hallmark and World Wide Technology.
Parson said he will promote Missouri’s central location as an advantage for companies wanting a distribution center.
“If you put your finger in the middle of the United States, you’ll be right on top of Missouri,” Parson said.
He also said he hopes to promote Missouri agriculture, such as the state’s beef industry.
“I think agriculture is a priority anytime I go anywhere,” said Parson, who operates a small cattle farms in Bolivar.
Parson typically hands over power to fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe when he travels abroad. The temporary designation comes as Kehoe is running for governor in 2024.
Japan has been a popular destination for governors this year. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin visited in April, while New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy went in July.
The trip is being organized by the Hawthorn Foundation, a private, nonprofit created in 1982 by former Gov. Kit Bond to facilitate business recruitment, retention and development efforts. One of the foundation’s focuses is helping to pay the cost of foreign trade missions by Missouri officials.
Parson previously has visited Sweden, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Greece, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
China claims that it has now become the world’s top car exporter after overtaking Japan for the first three months of the year.
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