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Did you know that October 23, 1997 was declared “Boomerang Box Day” in Washington State? That’s right, to celebrate the box’s first ocean voyage —
which began from Seattle’s Terminal 5 on the APL ship President Truman that
day — Washington Governor Gary Locke declared a statewide Day for the Boomerang Box.
But what does a United States Governor care about international trade?
Well, plenty, especially in the case of Washington State. Gary Locke presides over the most trade-dependent state in the nation. Approximately one out of every four jobs here is related to international trade. In addition, Washington is the only state in the U.S. that has a trade surplus with Japan. Both of those facts mean that trade is VERY important to the Washington State
economy and therefore to Governor Locke.
International trade is also important to Governor Locke for a very personal
reason: He is the U.S.’s first Chinese-American governor. His parents
moved to the U.S. from a tiny village in China called Jilong, and he grew up in
Seattle speaking Chinese at home. Earlier this fall, Governor Locke
visited his ancestral home as part of a 12-day trade mission to China. What do you think happens on a trade mission? Can you find any references in your local newspaper to a trade mission that one of your local elected officials has taken?
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