China trade mission wraps with billions in contracts

Following the Oct. 24 signing of a $4.4 billion export agreement with the China Council for for the Promotion of International Trade, Gov. Jay Nixon signed additional deals with Hebei and Zheijang provinces. Nixon led a delegation comprising more than 60 Missouri business and agriculture leaders in an Oct. 21-29 trip to the country to sign a series of export agreements.

On Oct. 26, Nixon penned a two-pronged agreement with Hebei Province, Missouri's sister province. One portion of the deal would see Missouri bumping up its exports to the province by $100 million during the next three years. The second component calls for officials from Hebei to work with the Missouri Department of Economic Development to facilitate $100 million in investment in Missouri businesses, according to a news release.

Officials from two Missouri companies - St. Louis-based architectural design firm Arcturis and St. Louis-based biomedical research firm Mediomics - also closed and signed agreements with customers in Hebei. Financial terms were undisclosed in the release.

On Oct. 27, Nixon closed a similar deal with the government of Zheijang Province. The agreement would have the provincial government directly invest $100 million in Missouri businesses, while Missouri would increase its exports to the province by $100 million, according to a separate news release.

The trade delegation's trip ended Saturday.

“This trade mission has been highly successful for Missouri as a whole and for the dozens of private businesses, commodity groups and other organizations that have joined us,” Nixon said in the release. “Missouri businesses will benefit from continued collaboration, competition and growth in the Chinese market for years to come.”

Several Missouri agriculture businesses and groups sent representatives with the delegation, including the Missouri Corn Growers Association, the Missouri Soybean Association, the Missouri Beef Industry Council, the Missouri Pork Association, Riceland Foods, Forrest Keeling Nursery and Hammons Products Co.[[In-content Ad]]