Western Australia Opens for Business in the U.S. With Its First Trade and Investment Office and the Establishment of the California-Western Australia Business Forum.

LOS ANGELES -- Western Australia's first Trade and Investment Office in the United States is open for business, following the November 16th launch in Los Angeles.

The new office will enable Western Australian businesses to capitalize on the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement and the ensuing broadening of bilateral trade.

Prior to the launch, Western Australian State Development Minister Alan Carpenter and California Lieutenant Governor Cruz M. Bustamante signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the California Commission for Economic Development, of which Bustamante is the chair, and the State Government of Western Australia, establishing the California-Western Australia Business Forum.

"The establishment of the new Business Forum provides great opportunities for advancing trade and investments and building and diversifying the state's export markets in the U.S., beginning with California," said Carpenter.

"We expect this mission to produce tangible results in terms of strengthening ties with our trading partners and negotiations for the purchase of California goods, services and agricultural commodities," said Bustamante.

The Western Australia Trade and Investment Office, headed by Regional Director David Doepel, is located in the Howard Hughes Center at 6080 Center Drive, 6th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

For additional photography, information or interview requests, please contact: Victoria King Public Relations, Inc., 12381 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 203, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Telephone: [phone]. Facsimile: 310-207-5525.