Washington Business Summer 2019 | Washington Business | Page 33

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“These issues with Japan are really crucial. We’ve
spent three generations, 60 years, building
relationships, with the Japanese government and
Japanese millers and groceries. It’s at risk now
because we walked away from a tariff reduction
program called the Trans-Pacific Partnership in
which we played a key role.”
— Alex McGregor, president of The McGregor Co.
thank you, ichiro
One of the highlights of the trade mission was learning more about
the business of baseball and, of course, taking in a pair of games at
the Tokyo Dome.
At the delegation’s welcome dinner, Johnson predicted the
Mariners would win both games during the week.
He was right.
On Wednesday, Mariners left fielder Domingo Santana led the
team to a 9-7 win over the A’s by blasting out the league’s first grand
slam of the season.
The next night, the Mariners defeated the A’s 5-4 in extra innings.
But the Mariners’ beloved right fielder Ichiro Suzuki upstaged both
of those victories, and provided a wonderful end to the trip.
Ichiro announced his retirement to epic, thunderous applause in
front of 46,451 fans.
“For me it doesn’t get better than tonight,” Ichiro said, as reported
in The Seattle Times. “Nothing can top what happened tonight.”
Johnson said Mariners and Oakland fans were united as they said
thank you.
“What a moment, one for the history books,” he wrote on social
media. “...A moment I will remember forever.”
Ichiro’s sendoff was just one of many memorable moments during
AWB’s first trade mission.
It’s likely not the last.
“I’m empowered,” Schauer said at the board meeting in May. He
said he’s encouraged AWB “to look at future endeavors like this to
other countries where Washington can have an impact.”
American Chamber of Commerce in Japan:
https://www.accj.or.jp/
Japan-America Society of the State of Washington:
https://jassw.info/
Greater Seattle Partners:
https://greater-seattle.com
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