Kathleen Wynne heads to Asia on trade mission
Premier Kathleen Wynne’s worldwide crusade to attract jobs to Ontario is taking her to Japan and South Korea.

TheStar.com
Nov. 25, 2016
Robert Benzie

Premier Kathleen Wynne’s worldwide crusade to attract jobs to Ontario is taking her to Japan and South Korea.

Wynne leaves Saturday for Tokyo with a delegation of representatives of 45 businesses, colleges and universities.

Since taking office in February 2013, the premier has led trade missions to China, India, the United States, and Israel and the West Bank.

“In a global economy, international missions deliver local jobs,” she said in a statement Friday.

“We are developing a strong, resilient business environment in Ontario to spur innovation and growth. Ontario shares these priorities for economic growth with each of Japan and South Korea — a strong foundation to expand partnerships.”

Wynne will have meetings in Japan from Monday through Wednesday, and South Korea on Thursday and Friday.

Both countries are growing in significance as trading partners with the province.

Last year, two-way trade with Japan was more than $11 billion and with South Korea it was nearly $6 billion.

Wynne noted her mission to Seoul is coming in the wake of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement — inked by former prime minister Stephen Harper — so doors should be opening there for Ontario businesses.

It is also against the backdrop of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was signed by both Canada and Japan, but not by South Korea.

That pact’s future is in doubt after the election this month of president-elect Donald Trump, who has promised to remove the U.S. from it the day he is sworn in on Jan. 20.

With Trump also sounding off against the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has been a boost to many parts of Ontario’s economy, the province is trying to diversify its import-export relationships.

Currently, 80.52 per cent of all of Ontario’s trade is with the U.S. — 24.57 per cent with Michigan alone — compared to just 0.72 per cent with Japan.