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| Date: | September 14, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Chris Van Guilder | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-1388 | | Contact Email: | christopher.vanguilder@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR JEREMY MILLER JOINS GOVERNOR DAYTON ON TRADE MISSION TO SOUTH KOREA |
St. Paul – State Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) will join Gov. Mark Dayton on a trade mission to South Korea (Republic of Korea) September 25 to October 1. The business development mission will focus on strengthening business relationships and increasing exports from local companies to Asian markets.
The delegation will travel to Seoul, South Korea to meet with business leaders and government officials, view presentations by market and industry leaders, engage in networking activities, and tour business sites. The trip will also include visits to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul and to Minnesota companies with operations in the country.
Sen. Miller commented, “I look forward to this exciting opportunity to showcase Minnesota businesses on the world stage and to develop and enhance relationships with our trade partners. The number one issue facing our state and our country right now is job creation, and this trip will offer valuable insight into how Minnesota companies can improve trade relations, expand operations and help grow our economy.”
In 2010, South Korea was among the top ten buyers in the world for sales of Minnesota products, including $87 million of food products. Sen. Miller, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, added, “Minnesota has one of the largest agriculture economies in the nation. The health, vitality and growth of this industry are essential to a full economic recovery in Minnesota. A critical component of that growth is the continued expansion of our export programs, and this trade mission is a positive step forward.”
South Korea is one of the state’s strongest export markets and a source of growing demand, offering many opportunities for Minnesota manufactured exports in addition to its agricultural commodities. According to the Minnesota Trade Office, manufactured exports to South Korea grew 158 percent over the last decade, with strong sales in medical goods, machinery, plastics, paper, and processed food products.
The full Minnesota delegation will include government officials, business executives, agriculture leaders, and educators. For more information about the trade mission, please visit the Department of Employment and Economic Development here: http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/trade
Prior to the South Korea trade mission, Sen. Miller will travel independently to China, where he will visit with and tour companies that have operational roots in Minnesota. No state funds are used for Sen. Miller’s participation in either trip.
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