• Premier to travel to the USA to promote WA and continue to strengthen our economy
• Visit will promote WA's capabilities to the US Government and major US companies
• Meeting with US Secretary of Navy to promote WA for additional ship visits 
• Premier will also travel to United Arab Emirates to promote WA as a trade partner 
  
  

Premier Mark McGowan will join Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and other State and Territory leaders on a high-level delegation to the United States of America later this month.

The McGowan Government's focus will be on building strategic relationships and strengthening WA's economy to create new jobs for Western Australians.

The Premier will be addressing all 55 US Governors at the National Governors Association (NGA) winter meeting in Washington DC, while taking part in a national delegation led by the Prime Minister and hosted by the Australian Embassy.

The NGA is a bipartisan organisation including the nation's governors. It will be the first time a Premier of Western Australia addresses the Association. 

While in the US capital, Mr McGowan will also engage in a series of meetings to highlight Western Australia's capacity as a supplier, manufacturer and repairer for the defence sector.

The Premier will meet with Richard V. Spencer, US Secretary of the Navy, to discuss Western Australia as a suitable location for additional future ship visits by the U.S. Navy. 

Following his five-day visit to Washington DC, Mr McGowan will travel to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to spend two days meeting major resource, education and tourism providers.

Comments attributed to Premier Mark McGowan:

"I'm committed to helping grow and diversify our local economy and look forward to promoting Western Australia and our local businesses to the world.

"The Prime Minister asked that I join him on this visit to Washington DC and I am keen on making the most of this opportunity for Western Australia.

"The USA is the largest foreign investor in Australia, and American companies have significant investments in Western Australia like Chevron's two multi-billion dollar liquefied natural gas projects in the State's far north.

"WA also has a flourishing relationship with the UAE, with two-way trade valued at $2.91 billion in 2016-17. Our top export commodities include minerals and agricultural products.

"During my meeting with the US Secretary of the Navy, I will draw on WA's historic relationship with the US and promote our State's capacity for additional ship visits.

"WA has a long history of U.S. Navy visits and we have a strong reputation for the quality of our ship repair, tourism and hospitality industries.

"Additional ship visits to WA will inject many millions of dollars into the WA economy and would help create more local jobs."