Wynne headed to Far East on trade mission

Premier Kathleen Wynne will visit Japan and South Korea with hopes of drumming up jobs for Ontario as part of ‘going global’ strategy

Premier Kathleen Wynne is headed to the Far East with hopes of drumming up jobs for Ontario.

Wynne announced Friday she will lead a trade mission to Japan and South Korea from Nov. 28 to Dec. 2.

“Japan and South Korea are important trade partners for Ontario. In today’s innovation-driven economy, opportunities like this mission help Ontario stay on the leading edge of the global economy,” the premier said in a statement.

“With the business delegation from Ontario, we will attract new investment to our province and lay the foundation for future partnerships between governments and the private sector to secure our continued economic growth,” she said.

The Team Ontario mission will travel to Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan and Seoul, South Korea.

Both Asian powerhouses are important trading partners with the province and many Japanese and South Korean companies, such as Toyota, Honda, and Samsung, are major employers in Ontario.

Last year, two-way trade between Ontario and Japan was more than $11 billion while it was nearly $6 billion with South Korea.

Wynne will be the first Ontario premier to make an official visit to South Korea in 30 years and the first to Japan in a decade.

Queen’s Park said the mission will concentrate on auto manufacturing, information technology, and life sciences.

Since taking office in February 2013 the premier has been criss-crossing the planet to try to lure jobs and investment.

She has been to China twice – in 2014 and last year.

Already this year, she has led large trade delegations to India and Israel to promote the government’s so-called “going global” strategy.

https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2016/08/premier-to-lead-mission-to-japan-and-south-korea.html

News Release

Premier to Lead Mission to Japan and South Korea

Fall Mission Will Generate New Opportunities in Ontario’s Key Economic Sectors

This fall, Premier Kathleen Wynne will lead her first business mission to Japan and South Korea to strengthen economic ties, create new partnerships and encourage investment in Ontario.

Premier Wynne will be the first Ontario Premier to visit South Korea in 30 years and the first Ontario Premier to visit Japan in a decade.

During the November 28-December 2 mission, the Premier will visit Tokyo and Nagoya in Japan and Seoul in South Korea. The mission will focus on building economic partnerships and seeking new opportunities in key sectors, including innovation, auto, manufacturing, information and communications technologies (ICT) and life sciences. In Japan, the Premier will lead a business delegation with participants from the ICT sector.

Ontario's competitive business environment, talented workforce and leadership in developing innovative technologies make the province a natural partner for both Japanese and Korean businesses.

Building international partnerships and helping businesses compete globally are part of the government's economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario's history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.

Contact us to join the Premier's delegation

Quick Facts

• Japan is a valuable trade partner — in 2015, two-way trade between Ontario and Japan totaled more than $11 billion.
• Two-way trade between Ontario and South Korea is increasing and totaled almost $6 billion in 2015.
• Two Ontario cabinet ministers have led international missions to Japan over the past two years — the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Economic Development and Growth.

Additional Resources

• Learn about Ontario’s Going Global Trade Strategy

Quotes

“Japan and South Korea are important trade partners for Ontario. In today’s innovation-driven economy, opportunities like this mission help Ontario stay on the leading edge of the global economy. With the business delegation from Ontario, we will attract new investment to our province and lay the foundation for future partnerships between governments and the private sector to secure our continued economic growth.”

Kathleen Wynne

Premier of Ontario