Governor Murphy to Lead Choose New Jersey Economic Mission Trip to East Asia

Nine-Day, Multi-Country Mission Will Deepen Investment and Trading Ties Between New Jersey and Japan/South Korea

Newark, New Jersey — New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will lead a nine-day, multi-country economic mission to East Asia in October, including visits to Japan and South Korea. The Governor announced the trip during an economic forum this morning with Tom Bracken of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. New Jersey is home to the fourth highest percentage of Asian Americans of any state in the nation, with a population of nearly one million Asian American residents, including over 100,000 Korean Americans.

“Japan and South Korea have long been some of New Jersey’s most vital economic, academic, and cultural partners,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “I look forward to leading a large New Jersey delegation to these vital trading partners this fall to reaffirm our longstanding ties and make the case for New Jersey as the best place to expand and grow a business.”

“We are thrilled to organize the Governor Murphy-led economic mission to East Asia to represent the very best of New Jersey and reaffirm our historic relationships with some of our most fundamental and trusted partners,” said Wesley Mathews, President & CEO of Choose New Jersey. “Japan and Korea have thriving life sciences, technology, fintech, infrastructure, and clean energy industries and are closely aligned with New Jersey’s strategy to foster the innovation ecosystem. We are eager to collaborate and share our economic vision with our East Asian partners on this historic mission to the region.”

“New Jersey has an attractive value proposition for East Asian companies looking to expand or relocate to the United States,” said Tom Bracken, CEO of the NJ Chamber of Commerce. “Our state’s strategic location, robust infrastructure, and skilled workforce make it the ideal place to do business.”

Governor Murphy’s activities and schedule will include meetings with companies and executives, trade organizations, government officials, higher education leaders, startup incubators, and other key commercial and economic partners. Key industry sectors of focus will include infrastructure, clean energy, financial services, life sciences, technology, logistics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. The New Jersey-Japan and New Jersey-South Korea relationships generate more than $13 billion in annual shared economic activity.

The mission, which will feature a diverse 30 to 40-member delegation made up of business leaders, university representatives, and elected officials will take place from Saturday, October 14 through Sunday, October 22, 2023.