Positive Results of Japan/China Mission

Over 70 business, academic, and government officials accompanied Governor Jim Doyle on the State of Wisconsin Trade Mission to Japan and China this fall. Members of the Wisconsin delegation visited Tokyo, Shanghai, Ningbo, Harbin, and Beijing from September 7-19, 2007.

The Governor was on hand to witness an agreement signing between Oshkosh Truck and Beijing Capital Airport for the purchase of six Wisconsin-made airport rescue firefighter trucks. The Governor also participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the installation by TomoTherapy of Madison of its first image-guided radiotherapy machine in Beijing.

While the Governor met with senior government officials, business leaders, and executives with potential investors, representatives of Wisconsin exporters held one-on-one meetings with potential agents, distributors, and end-users/customers. In Tokyo, delegation members participated in the joint meeting of the U.S. Midwest – Japan Association and the Japan – Midwest U.S. Association. Milwaukee will be the site of next year's meeting.

Business meetings in China were coordinated by the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service staff based at the U.S. embassy in Beijing or the consulate General in Shanghai as well as Wisconsin's trade office in Shanghai. A total of 44 one-on-one meetings were scheduled in China.

Gene Anguil, President of Anguil Environmental Systems, Inc. of Milwaukee, reported that "having traveled some throughout the world, I am aware of some of the difficulties in transferring myself and associates from one place to another. To accomplish this task with 70 people of diverse backgrounds and expectations was definitely noteworthy."

Trade missions are open to any Wisconsin businessperson seeking to expand their export business. The destination and dates of the next Governor-led trade mission have not yet been determined.

View more pictures from the mission. (exit website)

-- Stanley Pfrang