Last week, I joined the governor, fellow lawmakers and Missouri business leaders on a week-long trade trip to Taiwan and South Korea. It was an incredible opportunity, not only for those of us on the trip, but for the state at large. Missouri is part of a global economy. Numerous companies throughout the state regularly ship products across the world, especially Asia, where the demand for agricultural goods has exploded in recent years.

It’s imperative that we recognize this new reality and take proactive steps to foster the growth of Missouri exports to foreign countries. This trip was an important part of that goal. Shipping more goods out of Missouri will bring more jobs to Missouri. We have to foster these business partnerships and expand our presence in foreign markets.

We visited Taipei, Taiwan and Seoul, South Korea, two of the largest cities in Asia and economic centers for their respective countries. Visiting South Korea was especially impressive in light of how far the country has come in such a short time. Sixty years ago, the nation was mostly rural and undeveloped. Today, it has one of the largest economies in the world, with a technological infrastructure that rivals our own. It’s amazing what the nation has accomplished in just a few generations.

We met with various officials and business leaders, including the Secretary of Agriculture in South Korea, the vice president of Taiwan and the U.S. ambassadors for both countries. We were graciously welcomed in all of our visits, especially in South Korea. The country has a special fondness for Missouri, as this was the one-time home of President Harry Truman, who oversaw America’s intervention in the Korean War.

In fact, one of the most memorable and moving parts of the trip for me personally was our visit to the Korean War memorial in Seoul. We were accompanied by Missouri soldiers currently serving in South Korea, who joined us in laying a wreath on the memorial. It was an emotional experience.

The majority of the trip, however, was business, with meetings from eight in the morning to eight at night. The timing of this mission was important. In past years, many Asian countries placed large tariffs against imported American goods, particularly beef, due to fears regarding Mad Cow disease. Those tariffs are now being reduced. This is our chance to get our foot in the door in these markets.

Our trip was successful on many levels. The mission resulted in agreements to sell a total of $1.9 billion in Missouri goods to Korea and Taiwan over the next four years. This is a huge step in growing our exports to these countries, which will benefit businesses across the state, from major corporations like Boeing in St. Louis to small farms that grow corn or raise cattle.

We also invited our hosts to make a trade mission to Missouri. While nothing has been finalized, many indicated they were excited by the idea. It’s important that we not only make efforts to reach out to those countries, but that we welcome them here as well.

I was honored to be a part of this trip. Although I’d never imagined visiting East Asia, it was an incredible experience. I’m amazed at how connected our world has become, that corn grown here in Missouri somehow finds its way to a dinner table in South Korea. It was eye-opening and reaffirmed how important it is that we continue to foster these trade partnerships.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other matter regarding your state government, please feel free to contact me at (573) 751-1503; you are also welcome to e-mail me at jay.wasson@senate.mo.gov.