McAuliffe embarks on trade mission to China, UK

Today Governor Terry McAuliffe embarked on the first international trade mission of his governorship, an eight day trip to china and the United Kingdom.

Accompanied by First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe, Secretary of Commerce and Trace Maurice Jones, Secretary of Agriculture Todd Haymore and representatives of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia Tourism Corporation and the Virginia Department of Agricultural Services, the Governor will meet with business executives, government representatives and other leaders in both countries in an effort to bring more businesses and jobs back to Virginia and find new customers for products exported from the Commonwealth. The Governor and his team will attend 75 events or meetings over the course of the trade mission.

“Creating jobs, growing Virginia’s economy and finding new markets for our product are my top priorities,” said Governor McAuliffe. “Trade missions like these are a great opportunity to meet prospective partners face-to-face and convince them to bring their business to the Commonwealth. No country or state can match the workforce, infrastructure and business climate that Virginia has to offer, and my team and I are looking forward to making that case over the next eight days.

While in china between Thursday, July 10^th and Saturday July 12^th, the Governor will meet executives from the Tranlin Paper Company, which recently announced a $2 billion investment in chesterfield county that will create 2,000 manufacturing jobs. He will also host a private Virginia reception for prospective Chinese companies interested in investing in Virginia as well as Chinese companies that could expand an existing relationship with Virginia.

On July 11^th the Governor will travel to London, England to attend the Farnborough International Airshow and a number of business-development events related to the airshow. He will  attend the  Aerospace Industries Association’s (AIA)  exclusive reception in honor of the U.S. President’s Representative to the Farnborough Air Show; attend a Rolls-Royce Global Partners Banquet to network with the companies that form Rolls Royce’s global supply chain; and host a Virginia Executive Reception for senior corporate executives from the greater London area, as well as those attending the Farnborough Airshow.

The Governor and his team will also attend a number of private meetings with companies that could invest in Virginia’s economy.