Over the next three years, Gov. Jay Nixon said Monday morning, Missouri's exports to mainland China should grow by "more than $1 billion."
Speaking with Missouri reporters in a telephone conference call, the governor announced: "The highlight of today was the closing of a $4.4 billion trade agreement between the Missouri Department of Economic Development and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. ...
"As we identified in our Missouri Strategic Initiative for Economic Growth, increasing our exports is a critical means of creating Missouri jobs and growing our economy.
"This agreement is another important step in that direction."
Nixon reminded reporters that China already is "Missouri's third largest export market - in 2010, we sold $987.4 million in Missouri goods to China."