Japan firms invest more in Louisiana than any other Asian nation
For the past decade, Louisiana has been second in the U.S. for per capita FDI (foreign direct investment). Of the top states in FDI with over $25 Billion in investment during that period, Louisiana’s per capita performance is 28% stronger than Texas, 50% greater than New York, 71% greater than California and 79% better than Florida.
Japanese companies have played a significant role in Louisiana’s FDI leadership, with more than 15 projects since 2003 accounting for over $7.6 billion in capital expenditures and almost 7,000 new direct jobs.
Notable Japanese Investments in Louisiana
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- SGS North America Inc. and SGS Petroleum Service Corporation – Manufacturing facility service & inspection
- Denka Performance Elastomer, a Denki Kagaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha company – Rubber manufacturer, $2.1 million investment
- Fuji Oil – $70 million project will yield 87 permanent jobs, 200 construction jobs
- Mitsubishi Chemical – Complex to produce methyl methacrylate, a vital building block of acrylic-based resins
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- Shintech Inc. – In April 2012, Shintech Inc. announced a $420 million investment by SE Tylose to build a hydroxyethyl cellulose, or HEC, plant at Shintech Louisiana’s Plaquemine site. SE Tylose, a subsidiary of Shin-Etsu Chemical Co. Ltd. of Japan and sister company of Shintech, is producing HEC for latex paints that will create water-soluble coatings, adjust viscosity, improve adhesiveness, and prevent sedimentation of the colorants. The plant is expected to produce 9,000 tons of HEC annually and result in another 292 indirect jobs. Additionally, in April 2015 Shintech Inc. announced a $1.4 billion capital investment to supply Iberville Parish facilities with new ethylene production capacity. In 2015, Shintech announced an additional $1.4 billion ethylene expansion that will create 100 new direct jobs, retain 335 existing direct jobs and result in an estimated 658 new indirect jobs.
Trade Between Japan and Louisiana
| Exports to Japan | |
|---|---|
| Mineral Fuel, Oil Etc.; Bitumin Subst; Mineral Wax | $1.9 billion |
| Cereals | $1.5 billion |
| Milling Products; Malt; Starch; Inulin; Wht Gluten | $1.4 billion |
| Miscellaneous Chemical Products | $123.1 million |
| Food Industry Residues & Waste; Prep Animal Feed | $118.5 million |
| Organic Chemicals | $59.6 million |
| Pharmaceutical Products | $27.7 million |
| Rubber And Articles Thereof | $21.2 million |
| Plastics And Articles Thereof | $19.8 million |
| Miscellaneous Edible Preparations | $18.9 million |
| TOTAL | $5.3 BILLION |
| Imports to Japan | |
|---|---|
| Iron And Steel | $159.6 million |
| Organic Chemicals | $102.8 million |
| Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery Etc.; Parts | $67.2 million |
| Articles Of Iron Or Steel | $48.3 million |
| Mineral Fuel, Oil Etc.; Bitumin Subst; Mineral Wax | $25.4 million |
| Vehicles, Except Railway Or Tramway, And Parts Etc | $24.7 million |
| Plastics And Articles Thereof | $22.4 million |
| Miscellaneous Articles Of Base Metal | $13.4 million |
| Optic, Photo Etc, Medic Or Surgical Instrments Etc | $12.7 million |
| Miscellaneous Chemical Products | $11.5 million |
| TOTAL | $488.5 MILLION |
Cultural Ties and Resources
Louisiana’s Honorary Consul of Japan is Donna Fraiche.
The Japan Society of New Orleans was founded in 1928 to foster friendly relationships with Japan through the study of Japanese art and culture and the exchange of social and trade contacts between the two countries. Learn more here.
The Asian Pacific American Society aims to preserve and educate Asian culture and history in the New Orleans area since 1979. There are numerous higher education institutions in Louisiana that offer academic programs abroad in Japan. Learn more here.
Several Japanese horticultural groups exist throughout the state, including two chapters of Ikebana International, the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society and the Japanese Garden Foundation of New Orleans.
Other Japanese-focused supporting organizations in Louisiana include the New Orleans Zen Temple.