SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and a contingent of 24 state officials wrapped up an export-import trade mission to Asia over the weekend with an agreement regarding biofuels development between Illinois’ largest university and a sister institution in China.

 

The joint venture between the University of Illinois and Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China crystallizes a long relationship between the two institutions and calls on the two to work more closely on several future biofuel developments and to more easily exchange students and faculty working in the same area.

The eight-day trade mission, while focused more on importing businesses to Illinois, also included meetings with various agriculture entities in the hopes of growing what are already large importers of Illinois soybeans, Japan and China. The trip began in Japan at the annual Midwest United States-Japan Association conference, which included governors from eight states, including Indiana’s Eric Holcomb. For first-term Gov. Rauner, it was his first overseas trade mission, citing the ongoing two-year budget standoff inSpringfield as the main reason he hadn’t left the state sooner. As he was returning from China, Rauner told the Associated Press that it is important for Illinois to play a more active role not only in selling state products to overseas markets, but in attracting ventures from fast-growing China and long-time ally Japan.

“It is important to know that Japanese and Chinese companies are growing fast,” Rauner said. “They are expanding around the world, and it is important that we are selling Illinois and encouraging them to come here. We are also encouraging them to come here as tourists.”

China and Japan continue to rank among the top importers of soybeans from Illinois, the top producing bean state in the United States the past two years. Austin Rincker, marketing chairman of the Illinois Soybean Assoc., said he was encouraged with Rauner’s trip to Asia and believes it will pay dividends. “Here, we’re kind of in the lower commodity price kind of environment, so we need to be  looking for more markets and expandingour export markets,” said Rincker, noting that Illinois’ infrastructure system is a key to expanding its exports.

 

“We’ve got so much infrastructure in Illinois with the river systems, rail and things like that,” Rincker said. “We’ve got so many neat ways of getting soybeans exported out of Illinois, and that just makes us a pretty unique state for serving export markets.”

Richard Paullin, executive director of the International Trade Assoc, of Greater Chicago, said it was vital that Rauner get out front and sell the state and its  products. Paullin lived in Japan in the 1970s while consulting for several trading companies.

“In my view, the governor symbolically helps open doors for Illinois businesses. And even though he is a symbol, he can be a very effective one getting Illinois in  front of Japanese and Chinese investorsand the commercial community,” Paullin said. “The real problem is we have 49 other competitors. Every other state is looking to do the same thing, and if you don’t get on an airplane and you don’t getin front of them, they will go elsewhere.”