By Charles Lam
Northwest Asian Weekly

Spectators and commenters packed the commission chambers Sept. 11, forcing many to stand. (Photo by Charles Lam/NWAW)

After much public controversy and criticism, the Seattle Port Commission is calling for extra Read the full story

Tay Yoshitani

No one thinks that Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani has done a bad job. On the contrary, at a special meeting of the Seattle Port Commission on Sept. 11, where further action on his pending directorship was discussed, virtually every critique was prefaced with a compliment. He did such a great job that just a year ago, the commission awarded him with a new employment contract that included a 9 percent raise and specifically stated that he’s allowed to sit on the boards of private companies when a conflict of interest doesn’t exist, bringing his total compensation to $366.825. Read the full story

(From left) Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani with Dhamra Port CEO Santosh K. Mohapatra after signing the sister-port agreement last year in Odisha, India (Photo by Debadutta Dash/WASITRAC)

While there are known U.S. companies investing in India, there are many opportunities for successful Indian companies to invest in the United States. From Sept. 27 through Sept. 28, Washington’s first Summit on U.S.-India Trade and Commerce will touch on these prospects, focusing on agriculture, bio-tech and medical research, education, clean-tech, infrastructure, manufacturing, nano-technology, pharmaceuticals, real estate and investment, tourism, and renewable energy.

The summit is organized by the Washington State and India Trade Relations Action Committee (WASITRAC) in collaboration with the Seattle Center Foundation, Consulate General of India in San Francisco, Port of Seattle, City of Seattle, and UW’s Foster School of Business. It will take place during the Next Fifty, a six month long celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Seattle Center and Seattle’s first world fair.

WASITRAC is a non-profit advocacy group. WASITRAC facilitated missions with Indian states headed by Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani, Congressman Jim McDermott, Lt. Brad Owen, and others. (end)

For more information, visit www.nextfiftyindia.org.

Port of Seattle

Tay Yoshitani

This year, the Port of Seattle turns 100 — and a lot has happened in 100 years.

In 1911, King County voters approved creation of the port, which helped to unify a mix of privately owned and competing waterfront companies into one that was publicly owned. By the end of that decade, the port was ranked as one of the most successful in the country, a legacy that it carries on to this day.

Due to its geographic position, Washington state has been a prominent trading partner of China, Japan, and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region since as far back as 1919, with imports of raw silk from Asia. By 1927, trade with Asia would account for 50 percent of the Port’s foreign commerce. Read the full story

By Assunta Ng

Guests at the WASITRAC event (Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW)

On Aug. 15, a group of Indian Americans were celebrating India’s 64th Independence Day at Il Terrazzo Carmine. Read the full story

From left: Minister for Commerce and Transport for the Government of Orissa Sanjeev Sahu, co-chair for Washington State India Trade Relations Action Committee Debadutta Dash, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and Tay Yoshitani

Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani visited the Eastern State of Orissa in India to visit the coastal lines of Orissa and sign a sister port relationship with Dhamra Port Company Limited. There, he met with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to discuss various future collaborations with Orissa ports for the development of sea-trade and cruise activities. Read the full story

Luis Navarro (left) with Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani (Photo by Assunta Ng/NWAW)

Luis Navarro, Director of the Office of Social Responsibility for the Port of Seattle, was the featured speaker at a luncheon event held at New Hong Kong and organized by the Seattle Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Notably, Navarro has served as board president of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. Read the full story