- Deputy Premier to lead industry delegation to
the United States to bolster investment and trade outcomes
- Visit aims to establish strategic connections
ahead of official opening of the Invest and Trade WA office in Austin, Texas in
early 2024
- Mission includes newly appointed Americas
Commissioner and will showcase WA as a premium destination to visit, study,
invest and do business
Deputy
Premier Roger Cook will lead a delegation representing a broad range of sectors
to the US to strengthen government relations and progress new trade and
investment opportunities for Western Australia.
The
Deputy Premier will visit Houston, Austin, Boston, New York and Washington DC
where he will undertake extensive engagement with US companies across the
critical minerals, METS, energy transition, health and medical life sciences,
education and space sectors.
In
Houston, the Deputy Premier will be hosted by the Asia Society, followed by a
roundtable discussion with investors and business leaders from the energy and
mining technology sectors. Site visits include meetings with space and life
sciences companies in Houston.
Moving
to Austin, the Deputy Premier will host an Invest and Trade WA Showcase Event
with government and industry representatives to officially announce the
establishment of the new Invest and Trade WA office in Austin, which will be operational
from early 2024. The visit to Austin will also provide the opportunity to meet
with investors and key officials.
In
Boston, WA representatives will host an exhibit at the Biotechnology Innovation
Organisation International Conference 2023 to promote the State's
biotechnology, medical and life sciences sectors.
The
conference is the largest and most influential global event for the world's
biotechnology industry, attracting over 15,000 biotechnology and pharmaceutical
representatives from around the world.
During
the New York leg of the mission, the delegation will participate in a
roundtable event with the American Australian Association to discuss global
energy security.
In
Washington DC, the Deputy Premier will meet with Kurt Campbell, White House Indo-Pacific
Coordinator and Deputy Assistant to President Joe Biden, and His
Excellency the Hon Kevin Rudd AC, Australian Ambassador to the US, as well as
address the Battery
Gigafactories USA 2023 Conference to discuss Western Australia's key
role in US supply chains, including critical minerals and energy.
WA's
newly appointed Investment and Trade Commissioner for the Americas region,
Natasha Monks, will join the mission. Ms Monks is currently the Chief Executive
Officer of the Great Southern Development Commission and has previously served
as Trade Commissioner for the Australian Government within the Americas and
ASEAN regions.
Ms
Monks has a deep knowledge of Western Australia's investment and trade
priorities and extensive experience in delivering
economic development outcomes for regional Western Australia.
In
line with the model for the State's Invest and Trade WA network, announced by
the Premier in September 2020, Ms Monks will commence her secondment into the
Investment and Trade Commissioner role on 24 July 2023 and will be deployed to
Austin early next year.
Comments attributed to Deputy Premier Roger
Cook:
"The
United States is Australia's largest source of foreign direct investment, with
$185 billion invested in 2022. Through this mission, the WA Government plans to
build on this critical relationship.
"While
in the US, our plan is to establish and strengthen ties with key partners and
highlight the full breadth of trade and investment opportunities that are
available here in Western Australia - the gateway to the Indian Ocean.
"Western
Australia shares significant complementarity with US economic priorities and
our strategic location among the fastest growing economies in the world makes
us America's trusted partner in the Indo-Pacific.
"The
US mission will provide an important opportunity to introduce our new
Investment and Trade Commissioner to industry and government stakeholders,
ahead of the opening of the office in Austin, Texas."
Deputy Premier's office - 6552 6500
