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Governor Tells Europe U.S. Is Still Committed to Global Trade

3 min read

Gov. Asa Hutchinson told reporters Wednesday via teleconference from Frankfurt, Germany, that European business leaders were concerned about the U.S. being less committed to global trade and he has been working to reassure them.

Hutchinson said President Donald Trump has “emphasized how we’re going to be tougher with trade, how we’re going to have manufacturing restored to the United States. And I think that could have sent a signal that could have been mistaken in its intent.

“The intent is that we’re going to bring manufacturing back to our country. We don’t want to neglect that and just hand that over to our neighbors,” he said. “And some of our European friends take that as a withdrawal from the global stage. I assured them that’s far from the case.”

The governor called Trump’s rhetoric a strong negotiating position that has already benefitted the U.S. as companies have been reshoring and keeping jobs here. Hutchinson added that his message to those European business leaders was timely and reassuring.

The governor, along with Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Mike Preston, left on the governor’s sixth trade mission on Saturday. The pair plan to return this Saturday after meeting with company executives and tech leaders in Germany, France and Israel.

Hutchinson also said he emphasized that the state is leading in the growth of foreign direct investment and cited the German-owned companies that already have a presence here. 

“That’s quite impressive to the European audience, and the theme, of course, is that we continue to push for global opportunities from Arkansas,” he said. “And that’s really reassuring to the European audience.”

Hutchinson said Europe has always looked to the U.S. as the world leader in the economy, specifically trade and defense. That’s why “they’re very careful to the nuances of our dialogue and anything that indicates a retreat from that causes them concern,” he said.

So far, Hutchinson has attended the Paris Air Show, spoken to Citigroup employees at a town-hall event in Frankfurt and met with leaders of the SMS Group, a steel supply company that works with Big River Steel in Osceola.

He also met with Lanxess Corp. CEO Matthias Zachert in Cologne, according to a news release from the company. In April, the German firm acquired Chemtura Corp., which has more than 500 employees in Arkansas.  

The acquisition made Lanxess the owner of one plant in Little Rock and three in El Dorado. The El Dorado locations make bromine-based flame retardants; the Little Rock location produces high-performance curing bladders used to manufacture tires.

During the teleconference, the governor said talk at the Paris Air Show indicates there are opportunities in defense for Arkansas as both the U.S. and its allies are expected to invest more in that sector following an increase in security threats.

“It’s not just about supporting the new industries though and a message for what’s happening in Arkansas,” the governor said. “It’s also about new opportunity.”

Asked if any new projects would soon be announced, Hutchinson replied, “There’s not any announcements, but we’ve had some very good meetings, and I think there’s a lot of potential for the future. But, as you know, these things take time, they take repeat visits and sometimes a lot of nurturing, but we’re on the right track.”

Video of the Governor’s News Conference

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