Arizona Governor Plans 8day Trip To Taiwan, S. Korea To Bring Jobs, Investment To Arizona

Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs will visit Taiwan and South Korea this week on an eight-day trip to build business and political ties with two nations increasingly seen as important players in Arizona's economic growth.

The goal is to further ties that can create jobs, bring investment to Arizona and bolster the state's reputation when it comes to advanced manufacturing and clean energy, according to the Governor's Office.

“Arizona is leading our country’s economic future, becoming a central hub for semiconductor manufacturing and the clean energy economy," Hobbs said in a statement. "With this trip, we will continue to strengthen our ties with critical partners and attract investments to create good-paying jobs right here in Arizona. I look forward to developing these relationships and showcasing Arizona’s world-class workforce and dynamic economy.”

Hobbs departs Friday and will be abroad until Sept. 22. She will travel with Sandra Watson, Arizona Commerce Authority president.

The trip comes as a blockbuster economic project in Arizona — the over $40 billion expansion of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. in north Phoenix — has drawn scrutiny over workplace safety and concern about workforce shortages.

Hobbs, alongside TSMC executives, previously announced heightened safety standards for the construction site and a new effort to double construction and trade apprentices in the state by 2026.

TSMC plans to make 600,000 semiconductor wafers a year in Arizona and is expected to be the largest private-sector investment in the state. Wafers are used to make semiconductor chips, used in computers, smartphones, vehicles and more.

The company's decision to come to Phoenix, which brings an estimated 10,000 jobs to the area, has become a key success story in the state and nationally, prompting high-profile leaders such as President Joe Biden and Apple CEO Tim Cook to visit the construction site in December.

While TSMC often takes up much of the economic development spotlight, numerous other Taiwanese companies — some that support TSMC — have announced or begun plans to expand in Arizona. In March, Hobbs and the Arizona Commerce Authority announced Arizona would open a trade office in the capitals of Taipei and Seoul.

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Hobbs is the latest Arizona politician to put in facetime in the foreign nation seen as crucial to the state's economic health. It is her first visit to Taiwan since taking office in January, though Hobbs visited in 2016 when she was a state senator.

Former Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, visited Taiwan and the Republic of Korea in August 2022, on a similar economic development mission alongside Watson, who leads the state's economic development agency.

This summer, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, a Democrat, and council members visited Taiwan and South Korea to meet with companies that support the semiconductor supply chain and advocate for flights between Phoenix and Asia.

U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., traveled to Taiwan along with Phoenix business development advocates last month.

Hobbs' trip is taxpayer-funded via the Governor's Office and Arizona Commerce Authority. Her office did not immediately provide the names of any other Arizonans who would be traveling with Hobbs and Watson.

Reach reporter Stacey Barchenger at stacey.barchenger@arizonarepublic.com or 480-416-5669.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona governor plans trip to Taiwan, S. Korea to boost economic ties

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