State officials defend cost of international trade missions

By Brad Shannon | The Olympian • Published May 04, 2008

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Although some experts say it is hard to quantify the benefits of trade missions, Glassman said that, on balance, the missions are worth it in an international economy for a state such as Washington, perched on the Pacific Rim.

"One thing trade missions give you is the face-to-face meeting … that has power way beyond a telephone call or e-mail," Glassman said. "Many societies around the world are more hierarchically organized than the U.S. is. So the presence of a high-ranking official has value."

That analysis squares with what state Agriculture Director Valoria Loveland, Reed, Owen and other experts — including skeptical academics such as Montana State University economist Tim Wilkinson — say: Trade missions open doors, especially in Asian countries where a government official confers credibility for businesses that are being introduced.

Gregoire said her visit to the Paris Air Show in 2005 helped persuade six of 11 aerospace suppliers she met with to locate or expand in Washington.

"If that isn't a cost benefit, I don't know" what is, Gregoire said.

The first-term Democrat added that her visits to Asia have opened doors to top government officials for those on the delegation.

"I met with the president of South Korea. I met with the president of China. … I met with the president of Mexico," she said.

These efforts, Gregoire said, have led to five new direct-to-Seattle air routes that will make business travel easier between Washington and China, Europe and Mexico.

Two more routes — from London via Northwest Airlines and Beijing via Hainan Airlines — are to begin in June, said Gregoire's director of international protocol, Brent Heinemann. Other new routes established with Gregoire's help involved Lufthansa, from Germany, as well as Air Mexico and Air France.

Gregoire also reopened beef exports to Taiwan by having talks with officials there after the mad-cow disease scare by assuring that the state would export Washington-born and raised beef only.

Gregoire trips cost more