Welsh Government
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Welsh Government San Francisco base gateway to West Coast

First Minister Carwyn Jones has confirmed the establishment of a permanent Welsh Government representative at the British Consulate in San Francisco during his trade mission to the US West Coast.

The First Minister visited the Consulate (11.00 am West Coast time, Tues 12th Feb) to announce that a Welsh Government member of staff will be based in the building and will work closely with the UK Trade & Invest team in the city with the aim of attracting trade and investment to Wales. The move expands Wales’ representation in the United States, including in New York and Washington D.C.

The latest figures show Wales’ trade with the United States is growing and stood at £3.3 billion in 2012. 18 Welsh companies from a number of sectors are accompanying the First Minister on the trade mission to build on this momentum.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said:

“San Francisco has one of the world’s most famous sites with the Golden Gate Bridge and our presence here in the city can be described as Wales’ bridge to the vast West Coast economy.

“The Consulate provides us with the perfect base to promote what Wales can offer to businesses and potential investors. It is the duty of the Welsh Government to do all it can to attract high quality investment and to achieve this we need to be visible in markets such as the West Coast.

“We have a simple message – Wales is open for business is an excellent environment to locate and is welcoming to companies.”

The creation of a new Welsh Government presence in San Francisco comes after the First Minister held talks on potential economic links with the Mayor of San Francisco Edwin Lee and the Governor’s Office. 

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