what ’ s working
“ International trade is one of Washington ’ s strength ’ s . We ’ ve got a good thing going , and we ’ ll continue to spread the word , advocate for trade policy and build relationships .”
— Kris Johnson , president , AWB
Johnson was joined by AWB Board Member Nicole Sohn ; Steven Ashby , director of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory ; Lisa Brown , secretary of the state Department of Commerce ; Charles Knutson of Amazon ; AWB ’ s Amy Anderson , and other state officials .
The delegation met with the UK Minister of State for Trade Policy and a member of Parliament , Penny Mordaunt . She was among several contenders to replace outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson .
The discussion with Mordaunt covered what a trade agreement would look like in a post-Brexit UK , and details about Washington ’ s top growth sectors , including aerospace , clean technology , information technology , global health and the maritime industry .
AWB member companies were featured prominently throughout the trip . The delegation visited Costco ’ s UK headquarters in Watford , outside London . Wine from Chateau Ste . Michelle is among the club ’ s offerings .
The tour also included stops to Leyland Trucking , a PACCAR facility , and Fuller ’ s Griffin Brewery , which uses Yakima Chief Hops . And of course , stops to Starbucks helped fuel the delegation ’ s whirlwind tour .
Washington is one of the most trade-driven states in the nation , and strong relationships between AWB members and trading partners around the world are crucial .
“ International trade is one of Washington ’ s strength ’ s ,” Johnson said . “ We ’ ve got a good thing going , and we ’ ll continue to spread the word , advocate for trade policy and build relationships .” fall 2022 27