As U.S. trade policy was clouded with uncertainty following last year's presidential election, we stayed the course here in "the other Washington." The simple reality is that nearly 95 percent of the world's consumers live outside the United States.

We measure competitiveness against other nations and regions of the world, not just other U.S. states. Washington is wide-open for business, from aerospace and advanced agriculture to clean technology, information technology and global health.

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Typically, 40 percent of the cases in our recruitment and investment pipeline are international firms. We conduct international trade missions and business development work all over the world — most recently in Spain, Japan, China, Canada, Mexico, Germany, United Kingdom and France — and I look forward to being in Switzerland in the fall. We regularly welcome inbound delegations exploring targeted opportunities that require the kind of skilled workforce and exceptional quality of life Washington state is known for.

Embracing business beyond our borders is second nature. Our economic and cultural ties with Japan date back a century. The Port of Seattle received the first cargo ship from China to the United States in 1979, and the first state trade mission to China was organized and headed by then-Gov Dixy Lee Ray.