Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her delegation spent more than $200,000 on an eight-day trip to South Korea and Taiwan in September, averaging $26,000 per day, according to records obtained by The Center Square through a Freedom of Information Act request filed with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. (MEDC).
The bill, by the numbers
The Center Square reports the trip totaled: $91,000 for airfare; nearly $70,000 for hotels; $13,000 for conference rooms and events; $11,000 for ground transportation; and $6,000 for meals. Miscellaneous costs included photographer fees, interpretation services, and $3,200 for a “cultural activity,” according to the records The Center Square obtained.
The governor’s office said the MEDC and the Michigan Economic Development Foundation, an independent nonprofit, “supported” the trip, The Center Square reported.
What the itinerary shows
Per the official itinerary shared with The Center Square, day one in South Korea included a “cultural walking tour” of traditional Korean homes and a local shopping district. The rest of the South Korea leg featured meetings with Korean companies that have recently invested in Michigan and with government officials, according to the outlet’s review of the records.
After three nights, the delegation flew to Taiwan and met with President Lai Ching-te, government officials, and representatives of semiconductor, drone, and robotics companies, The Center Square reported.
How the principals framed it
Whitmer argued the mission was critical for business ties. “Michigan and Taiwan are both places where people know how to make things, solve tough problems, and build the technologies that will define our future,” Whitmer said, adding, “We’re going anywhere and working with anyone to bring more jobs, investments, and opportunity back home to Michigan,” according to The Center Square.
“Investment missions allow Team Michigan to build the trust that turn conversations into opportunities for Michigan’s people, communities, and businesses,” said MEDC CEO Quentin L. Messer, Jr., who joined the trip. “During this mission, we deepened relationships with companies already investing in Michigan while positioning our state to compete for future investment,” The Center Square reported.
Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te said, “Michigan is a global hub of the automotive industry… [complementary] with Taiwan’s semiconductor, electronic components, and smart manufacturing industries,” adding that more Taiwanese firms are investing in Michigan and expressing hope the visit will enhance cooperation and supply chain resilience, per The Center Square.
Whitmer later called the trip a success: “In South Korea and Taiwan, we deepened our relationships with companies already creating good-paying jobs in Michigan, and showed others considering where to make their next investment why our state is the best place to build the future,” according to The Center Square.
Prior travel costs and criticism
The Center Square noted Republicans have criticized Whitmer’s international travel. Earlier this year, a week-long Europe trip cost approximately $180,000, following a $61,000 January trip to Switzerland, the outlet previously reported. Whitmer’s office defended the Asia trip as “building on strong partnership to bring jobs and investment to Michigan,” according to The Center Square.
Who went
The Center Square says Whitmer’s delegation included more than a dozen people: eight MEDC officials; two from the governor’s office; and others including Oakland County Executive David Coulter; Michigan National Guard Adjutant General Paul Rogers; ITC Michigan President Charles Marshall II; and Henry Ford Health System Senior Vice President and Chief Government Relations Officer Marc Corriveau.
Who backed it
The governor’s office said the MEDC and the Michigan Economic Development Foundation “supported” the trip, The Center Square reported. The records reviewed by The Center Square detail costs but do not, in that reporting, break down precise funding sources beyond that description.
