NSW Trade & Investment office to open in Tokyo

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The New South Wales government plans to expand its presence in Japan through the appointment of additional staff, including a new senior trade and investment commissioner who will be tasked with growing investment and export opportunities.

The positions will be based in Tokyo and the move is part of a “rejuvenation” of NSW’s international trade and investment network, according to Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

“Under an improved structure, Japan will become the first of six international hubs, with extra resources managed regionally by our new senior trade and investment commissioners,” she said on Wednesday.

The government revealed the UK, Europe and Israel will be the next “hub” to see the appointment of an agent general and senior trade and investment commissioner based in London, followed by ASEAN; greater China; the Americas; and the Middle East and India.

A stand-alone NSW Trade & Investment office will be opened in Tokyo, Berejiklian announced, with staff numbers in Japan to grow from two full-time staff to six.

Japan is the state’s largest single goods export market, taking up roughly one-quarter of its total exports.

The measures are part of the state government’s Global NSW strategy — a strategy to “unlock international investment into NSW” — which was launched in December. Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said $180 million has been allocated in this year’s budget to support the strategy.

“The NSW government has a long-established and close collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government ranging across urban design, healthy and smart cities, education, trade promotion and investment attraction and start-ups,” he said.

“Japanese businesses are among the state’s oldest and largest investors in sectors such as resources, energy, food and agribusiness. More recently, Japanese investment interest has evolved towards technology, renewable energy, health and infrastructure opportunities including the Aerotropolis, making Japan an important market for us to nurture.”