Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe has completed a trade mission to Germany.
Kehoe and other Missouri leaders met with executives from several German companies – including Bayer, Merck, and BASF to discuss expanded trade opportunities. So why did the Lieutenant Governor lead this trade mission instead of the governor? In large part because Governor Mike Parson recently returned from a trade mission to Japan.
“He and the First Lady (Teresa Parson) had been gone for several days and this (trade mission) was pretty close to it,” Kehoe told Missourinet. “There were a couple of businesses – two or three of the businesses we visited with are very ag- focused, and he knew and was comfortable that I had a background in agriculture as an actual operating farmer.”
The state-sponsored trip included efforts to get Lufthansa Airlines to expand the number of flights between Germany and Missouri.
“They have three (non-stop) flights (a week), direct from Frankfurt to St. Louis,” Kehoe said. “As we enter into the World Cup on the Kansas City side in 2026, we certainly wanted to make sure they are aware of what that activity was all about – the international community being able to come together for a couple of months for the World Cup.”
Kehoe’s trade mission also included attending the Chiefs vs. Dolphins game in Frankfurt. But he adds that visit included official duties, as he met with representatives from some of the countries expected to be involved in the FIFA 2026 World Cup. Kansas City will host some of the World Cup matches.
Copyright 2023, Missourinet.
