By Governor Dave Heineman

Dear Fellow Nebraskans:

We have just concluded a very productive trade mission to Asia and I want to take this opportunity to share some of the highlights from my first trade mission to Asia. We had a very full schedule during the 10 day visit. I was accompanied members of the largest delegation ever assembled for a Nebraska trade mission in conducting business in China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, and Taiwan.

One of the most significant parts of the trade mission was a letter of intent signed with Taiwanese grain and soybean trade officials expected to produce around $400 million in sales of Nebraska agricultural products during the next two years. While individual sales contracts will be negotiated in the months to come, the end result is that Nebraska producers will be exporting record amounts of corn, soybeans and wheat to Taiwan in the coming years.

In addition, a Taiwanese company extended a previous commitment to purchase corn-based plastic resin from a plant in Blair through 2008. This deal is valued at more than $8 million. Another company signed an agreement for the purchase of approximately $1.5 million in Nebraska beef. This last purchase was the result of an agreement signed this summer with Taiwanese officials visiting our state as part of Taiwan’s Agricultural Goodwill Mission.

Our visit to Hong Kong also produced results when it comes to the sale of Nebraska beef. A popular restaurant chain with more than 40 locations in Hong Kong and plans to expand into mainland China expanded its commitment to the purchase of high-quality Nebraska beef. The chain expects to import approximately $2 million in Nebraska beef from a Grand Island processor during the next year.

This deal was a direct result of a relationship the restaurant owner had developed with local distributors after several trips to Nebraska. This is just one example of several opportunities for Nebraska to become the preferred supplier of beef in Asian markets.

In Macau, Nebraska beef will be a featured product during the next year at a brand new luxury hotel and convention center complex that is the world’s largest commercial buildings. This promotion, along with another that will place Nebraska beef into the hands of students at Hong Kong’s premiere culinary training school, helps position Nebraska as the preferred source for beef served in quality restaurants throughout Asia.  

In addition to agreements to purchase agricultural exports, participants on this trade mission signed several agreements that will strengthen relationships with Nebraska businesses and research institutions.
 
The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) will cooperate with one of China’s leading medical programs, the Jiao Tong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, on what is thought to be the first joint-degree program for doctors. During the next year, officials from both schools will develop a program allowing students to complete their medical degree coursework in Shanghai and follow-up with post-doctoral research at UNMC. The schools also hope to collaborate on a joint-degree program for nurses.

Our goal for this trade mission was to develop and build upon relationships with key government and business representatives throughout Asia. There were several meetings that we hope will ultimately help Nebraska companies secure future business and trade opportunities.

We met with the Mayor of Shanghai and the leadership of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. We also a chance to visit Hong Kong’s Secretary of Finance and the Lt. Governor of Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture.

I had the opportunity to talk with the head of one of the world’s oldest companies and other Japanese business leaders during a breakfast meeting that we hosted in Tokyo. The visit also provided a chance for economic developers from South Sioux City to talk with officials from businesses interested in locating in Nebraska.

While it may be several years before we know the full extent of opportunities created by this most recent trade mission, it is opportunities such as this that help build relationships that have the potential to net new investments  in our state.