Nebraska Lt. Governor Lavon Heidemann and a small delegation of Nebraska government and business leaders leave today for a 9-day trade mission to Taiwan and Japan.

In Taiwan, they will receive an update on a $450-million dollar trade agreement signed during a visit in 2010. The visit to Japan is primarily for the annual conference of the Midwest US-Japan Association, whose members include 9 Midwestern states and a number of major Japanese businesses.

Heidemann, who will take part in the conference, says he’s looking forward to the gathering in part because he’s a farmer-rancher in addition to lieutenant governor, giving him a chance to tell Japanese leaders that he wants to broaden trade opportunities as both a government leader and an ag producer.

Japan is Nebraska’s largest foreign direct investor, having invested more than $4.4 billion into the state since 2010, and the state’s 4th largest export market with $468 million in exports last year.

Taiwan is Nebraska’s 13th largest export market with $94 million in exports a year ago, when it was also the state’s 10th largest agricultural export market.

Heidemann says this trip isn’t intended to directly increase those numbers through new contracts; instead, the goal is simply to continue to strengthen business relationships and pursue opportunities to develop new connections.

Among those accompanying the lieutenant governors are State Ag Director Greg Ibach and Department of Economic Development head Catherine Lang. This is the 12th foreign or reverse trade mission since Governor Dave Heineman took office in January 2005.

While in Tokyo, the delegation will visit the new Nebraska Center – Japan, the state’s first foreign trade office which opened in 2006, and members will meet with business and government leaders including the Governors of the Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures.