OXON HILL, Md. — Governor Pete Ricketts addressed the 2018 SelectUSA Investment Summit in Oxon Hill, Maryland. At the summit, Governor Ricketts invited international partners to invest in Nebraska and spoke about the importance of trade to the state. Other speakers at the event included U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.
Governor Ricketts has been a consistent advocate of expanding trade and international partnerships. As Governor, he has led trade missions to Canada, Japan, China, and the European Union. His upcoming trade mission to Mexico will be his sixth international trade mission.
TRADE MISSION SUCCESSES IN NEBRASKA
China: Governor Ricketts advocated for the reopening of Chinese markets to American beef during his trade missions to the country in 2015 and 2016. Nebraska was the first state to ship beef to China when the Chinese beef markets were reopened to American beef products. Nebraska is the largest exporter of beef to China today; over 50 percent of all American beef that goes to China comes from Nebraska.
Japan: On the Governor’s latest trade mission to Japan in 2017, Sagami Restaurant Chain signed a letter of intent with Smithfield Foods to source more of their pork from Nebraska. Kawasaki also established their first American aerospace production facility in Nebraska following the Governor’s first Japanese trade mission.
Canada: Governor Ricketts traveled to Canada to thank them for being one of Nebraska’s best customers. While he was there, he met with leadership from Agri-Plastics. Following their conversation, Agri-Plastics decided to establish its first American production facility in Sidney, Nebraska.
European Union: Novozymes, a Danish biotech firm, invested heavily in Nebraska following Governor Ricketts’ trade mission to the European Union. Novozymes expanded its production facility in Blair, creating jobs and supporting the local economy.
ABOUT SELECTUSA
According to SelectUSA’s website: “The SelectUSA Investment Summit is the highest-profile event dedicated to promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in the United States. This signature event provides an unparalleled opportunity to bring together companies from all over the world, economic development organizations from every corner of the nation, and other parties working to facilitate business investment in the United States. Featuring senior government officials, C-Suite business executives, and other thought leaders, each summit focuses on a timely theme related to the U.S. investment environment, industry trends, and new opportunities.”
— Office of Governor Pete Ricketts
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