Washington state is on the move, literally, with a delegation of about 46 taking to the skies - and then some - for a high-stakes trade mission to Vietnam. The Office of the Governor spearheaded the trip to reinforce trade ties, spanning advanced technology and climate initiatives as well as agriculture. The delegation, brimming with business moguls and government hotshots, landed in Vietnam for a five-day extravaganza that kicked off on April 8, according to a press release from the governor's office.
They're slated to evenly split their time between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, aiming to truly get down to business and possibly to stir up some much-needed economic synergy. The itinerary is a packed one, with a flurry of bilateral meetings on the books, facility tours, and networking events that promise to weave tighter the threads of commerce and innovation between the two regions. With eyes firmly set on sectors like AI and clean energy, they're looking to capitalize on Vietnam's bustling market growth - which saw the country rank as Washington's 5th largest export market last year. This includes a strong flow of agricultural products like apples and wheat, as stated by the governor's office press release.
The seeds for this blossoming relationship were planted back in September 2023, when President Biden swung by Vietnam to officially boost the partnership level between the two nations under the new Vietnam-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Tending to this growing garden of cooperation, the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) emerged last year too, laying out a strategic plan to provide Vietnam with the resources to trim its emissions and achieve a carbon-neutral footprint by 2050.
Washington has strong ties with Vietnam, with over 90,000 Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American residents calling it home since the 1970s. The state's history of welcoming Southeast Asian refugees drives this trade mission to foster collaboration across the Pacific. Leading the mission are Commerce Director Michael Fong and Agriculture Director Derek Sandison, as Gov. Jay Inslee couldn't attend due to health reasons. The delegation is promoting Washington's top agricultural products like wheat, apples, and cherries. Funding for the trip comes from state funds and delegate contributions.
