trade mission

Michigan's Lt. Gov to spend 2 days on Mexican trade trip

The Associated Press — Sun, 05 May 2013 16:46:00 +0000

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Michigan Lt. Gov. Brian Calley is planning to meet with government officials and business leaders during a two-day visit to Mexico.

Calley was expected to leave Sunday on the mission to strengthen trade relations and attract job-creating investments to Michigan.

He will meet Monday with Mexican government officials and visit the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. Calley also will speak with Mexican-based auto supplier Rassini.

Snyder to travel to Italy, Germany in March

Zoe Clark — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:38:37 +0000

Governor Rick Snyder has confirmed plans that he will travel to Italy and Germany in March. The Detroit Free Press reports:

The plans are still being finalized -- another country or two may be added to the weeklong trip -- but Snyder said he definitely plans to visit Italian automaker Fiat, Chrysler's majority owner, and is eager to study Germany's programs for upgrading worker skills.

Snyder visited China, Japan and Korea in September for his first trade mission as Governor. He was there to encourage Asian companies to expand and invest in Michigan.

Travelogue: Governor Snyder's Trip to China (with photos)

Tracy Samilton — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:17:44 +0000

I'm on assignment in China following Governor Snyder's trade mission, and I'm sharing my thoughts as I travel. Feel free to write me back in the comments below.

Nearing the end - Friday, September 30

The Governor's trade mission is coming to an end, and so is my trip to China.

I won't miss the smog and pollution, either in Shanghai (bad) or Beijing (worse).

But it has truly been too short a trip to get more than a glimpse of everything that is happening with China's economy, its auto industry, and its cultural and population shifts.

Frank Langfitt in Shanghai and Louisa Lim in Beijing surely have two of the biggest, most exciting beats in public radio. This fly-in reporter leaves the country in their incredibly capable hands.

Adventure travel

My adventures with taxis continued.

I am starting to take this a little personally.

Arriving back in Shanghai from Beijing, I got in the long queue to get a taxi to my downtown Pudong hotel.

I decided I'd be a discerning and demanding customer this time around. I rejected several taxis that had no seat belt in the back. But when I found a taxi that was suitably equipped, and showed the driver the address to which I wanted to be taken, he shook his head, and drove up to grab the fellow who was behind me in the line.

The next taxi cab driver whose cab had seat belts did the same thing. I asked the airport employee who was in charge of the queue to help, but he spoke no English. Nor did the first ten or so people in line.

Paying it forward

Finally, however, an angel arrived at the queue. Deserine Lim, fluent English-speaker and rescuer of helpless American travelers. She looked at my hotel address and explained that the taxi drivers didn't want me because it was too close, and they wanted a bigger fare. Ouch.

Then, without my even thinking to ask, she suggested I split a cab with her. She'd drop me off at my hotel, and continue on to her destination.

I'm not a Tennessee Williams fan for nothing. I, too, have always relied on the kindness of strangers. I got in the cab gratefully.

My rescuer is a native of Singapore, she told me, visiting Shanghai just for a day on business. But she knows the town well, and told me what shops to go to near my hotel, what restaurants to haunt. We discussed American politics.

When we arrived at my hotel, I paid the fare, and since it was clear her favor to me was going to cost her, both in terms of time and money, I tried to give her some money to cover the extra distance.

She adamantly refused to take it.

So, I shall have to content myself with paying it forward some day.

Ms. Lim is Assistant General Manager of OSIM, a global provider of personal, health and convenience products headquartered in Singapore. OSIM is a co-owner of Brookstone, a company that provides such products in the U.S.

Thanks, Deserine. You're a peach.

Next stops before home

Next stop for me: Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where I'll visit the Joint Institute between SJTU and the University of Michigan.

I also plan to go to a shopping mall with my SJTU interpreter, Paul (Kang Yiping) to ask people about transportation issues.

Then, another interview with a Ford China official, to learn more about the company's strategy to ride the next wave of demand for vehicles in the country.

And tomorrow morning, I'll be on a non-stop flight from Shanghai to Detroit.

They say the jet lag is a lot worse coming back.

Michigan Radio, don't call me. I'll call you.

Arrived in Beijing - Wednesday, September 28:

I am in Beijing.

I arrived on the fourth consecutive day of a smog health advisory in the city. Children are not supposed to play outdoors, and people with chronic health conditions are being urged to stay inside. Even if you are healthy, the smog is very irritating to your eyes and throat.

Michigan has never seemed cleaner. Even the worst Ozone Action Day in Michigan in August can't hold a candle to this.

Shanghai was windy while I was there earlier in the week. We need a good strong breeze to get this stuff out of the city, so people can breathe.

The Chinese government knows it has a potential crisis on its hands, as more people move into the cities, and more of them purchase cars. That's why the government adopted a five year plan to vastly increase the number of electric cars in China.

The big problem with that is infrastructure.

Michigan Governor Snyder pleased with results of his first trade mission

Tracy Samilton — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:25:45 +0000

Governor Rick Snyder said he will return to China in the next year, after completing his first trade mission in that country.

In the meantime, he said there’s a lot of follow-up to do in Michigan, to develop brand-new relationships with Chinese business leaders.

Governor Snyder spent a day in Beijing, the Chinese capital, and a day in Shanghai, the country’s international commerce center.

He said he was pleasantly surprised at how interested Chinese business leaders seem in closer business ties with Michigan. He said one possibility is getting Chinese mining companies, who want to expand overseas, to take a look at mining copper and other deposits in the U.P.

"It’s another export from our state, and the main thing is we do it in an environmentally conscious way and we put in the structure to do that," said Snyder.

Governor Snyder also highlighted his new “Global Michigan Initiative,” which he says should help create jobs in the state.

The initiative is designed to encourage talented immigrants to settle in Michigan.

The Global Michigan Initiative began two months ago.

While speaking in Shanghai, Snyder said the initiative will expand over the next few years to include cultural programs, more trade missions, and a visa program.

"There are a number of states that are unfortunately discouraging immigration, and I believe it should be the opposite, and the empirical support is there by encouraging immigration you actually create jobs for people in your community," said Snyder. " It’s a job creator."

The Governor is now on his way to South Korea, after a two-day stay in China.

This is Snyder’s first trade mission, and he says it was easier to make a pitch for the state’s positive business environment than he expected.

That’s because some of the Chinese business leaders he met with had already done some homework on Michigan.

"The most pleasant surprise was just the positive response of people in China and businesses in particular, that many of them are seriously looking at Michigan already as a good place to do business, and I was happy to see that they mentioned tax reform is a good reason for them to come, having a balanced budget is a major item," said Snyder.

The Governor will be in Seoul next, where he will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Governor of Gyeonggi Province. The agreement states that Michigan and the Province will work together to establish trade.

Snyder will return to Michigan on Saturday.

Snyder: Tokyo visit welcome chance to show support

Tracy Samilton — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:12:41 +0000

Governor Rick Snyder has left Japan, and is now in China. Beijing is the second stop on his four-city Asian trade mission.

Snyder said the Tokyo visit was a welcome chance to show some support for Japan.

"Because they're still recovering from March 11^thin terms of the tsunami and earthquake, and they're a great people, and they really appreciate the outpouring of support from Michigan after that happened," said Snyder.

Michigan already has about 500 Japanese companies doing business in the state.

Snyder said there are even more opportunities to increase trade with Japan. That's in part because some Japanese companies are considering an increase in overseas production after the tsunami.

Snyder goes to Shanghai next, then Seoul, before returning to Michigan on Saturday.