Utah government and business leaders returned recently from a trade mission to China that was led by World Trade Center Utah (WTC Utah). The group visited Shanghai and Beijing while in China.
China is Utah’s third-largest trading partner and in 2017, Utah exported almost $740 million in goods to the Asian country, according to WTC Utah. Top Utah exports to China include computer and electronic products, chemicals, machinery and agricultural products.
“China is one of Utah’s most important markets, even with the ongoing trade dispute,” said Miles Hansen, president and CEO of WTC Utah. “As national governments engage to reach a trade deal, Utah business and government leaders must continue to invest in a strong strategic partnership with China on trade and also in the areas of innovation, education, art and culture. This type of positive engagement develops the trust and relationships necessary to find mutually beneficial resolutions to the many challenges facing the United States and China.”
The delegation consisted of Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank and chair of WTC Utah; Greg Hughes, speaker of the Utah House of Representatives; Miles Hansen, president and CEO of WTC Utah; Gary Porter, senior vice president of Deseret Management Corp.; Rich Hartvigsen, vice president of Nu Skin International; Darin Parker, president and managing director of PMI Foods; Brad Herbert, senior vice president and group marketing manager of Zions Bank; Dan Stephenson, executive director of Economic Bridge International; Greg Hartley, chief of staff of the Utah House of Representatives; and Meg Garfield, trade mission manager for WTC Utah.
While the group was in Shanghai, the chairman of the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), the world’s largest port operation, hosted the Utah delegation for dinner along with senior SIPG leaders. SIPG is a global leader in automation and efficiency and is known for its innovation, Hansen said. The group discussed challenges Utah companies face when exporting goods to China as well as Utah’s rapid economic growth and development, including Utah’s proposed inland port.
Also in Shanghai, the Utah delegation met with one of the largest suppliers of China’s immense public health system to discuss opportunities to partner with Utah life sciences companies and visited the Youth Innovation Center, a joint project between the state of Utah and the Jiading District in China, to learn about the important education and innovation ties between Utah and China. All the companies on the trade mission pledged to support joint Utah-China efforts to develop increased collaboration among Utah and Chinese students on science, technology, engineering and math projects, according to WTC Utah. Twenty percent of all Mandarin taught in the United States occurs in Utah, positioning Utah’s students to be leaders in driving increased collaboration between China and the United States in the decades to come.
On the second leg of the trade mission in Beijing, the Utah delegates had several meetings with senior Chinese officials involved with trade, commerce and foreign affairs to discuss challenges and opportunities in expanding Utah-China trade ties, including the potential establishment of a Utah-China joint committee on trade and commerce. U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad convened a meeting with the Utah delegation and leading executives from some of China’s largest tech companies and investment funds. The group discussed ways to increase foreign investment from China to Utah and opportunities for Utah companies to expand their operations in China.