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Harris County, TX, November 10, 2025, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo returned from a trade mission to Taiwan and Japan, where she led a delegation of business leaders alongside the Greater Houston Partnership, Houston First, the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Houston, and the Japan America Society of Houston. 

During the trade mission, Judge Hidalgo and the delegation met with high-level government officials, as well as major international businesses considering expanding their presence in the United States, in order to highlight Harris County as a prime destination for foreign investment and economic development. By emphasizing Harris County’s position as a global leader in technology, energy and advanced manufacturing, Judge Hidalgo and the delegation made it clear that Harris County is open for business.

“International investment is a zero-sum game, and we went on the trade mission to Taiwan and Japan to win. We’re building partnerships with major international businesses who will help keep Harris County at the forefront of key global industries like advanced manufacturing, clean energy and tech. I’m excited to continue strengthening the relationships we started during this trade mission to secure investments that will drive long-term wins for Harris County,” said Judge Lina Hidalgo.

“Building strong, long-term relationships with partners in Taiwan and Japan is essential to Houston’s economic growth. Through trade missions like this, we are not waiting for opportunities to come to us. We are actively pursuing them, showing international companies why Houston is the ideal place to establish and expand operations,” said John Cypher, Vice President of International Investment and Trade at the Greater Houston Partnership.

During the trade mission, Judge Hidalgo and the Harris County delegation met with:

• Inventec, a Taiwanese company for advanced technology manufacturing of AI servers and laptops. Inventec recently announced that it will invest more than $250 million to develop an AI and electronics manufacturing plant in Katy, which will create over 2,300 jobs and support Harris County’s growing advanced-manufacturing corridor. 
• The Taiwan Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs to highlight the incentives for Taiwanese businesses investing in Houston/Harris County, as well as offer support for business on a government level. 
• Cooler Master, a Taiwanese hardware manufacturer specializing in computer parts and AI data center cooling solutions for major companies. 
• CTBC Bank, Taiwan’s largest privately-owned bank, to discuss efforts to lead on retail and corporate banking in Texas. 
• Foxconn, one of the largest employers in the world and a multinational electronics manufacturer that produces products for companies like Apple, Nvidia, Dell and Amazon. Foxconn employs more than 2,000 employees across the Houston/Harris County region. 
• Mitsui, a major Japanese real estate company that manages properties across the globe. Mitsui recently partnered with the Texas Medical Center (TMC) to launch an initiative aimed at advancing cancer treatment by connecting Japanese innovators with TMC experts and providing a pathway for U.S. market expansion. 
• Keidanren (Japan Business Federation), Japan’s most influential business federation comprised of more than 1500 companies from across the nation, to highlight Harris County’s openness to Japanese business investment and expansion. 
• Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), a major government trade agency that supports Japanese businesses looking to expand their global exports, to pitch Harris County as a prime location for small to medium Japanese companies looking to expand their international investments. 
• Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, one of Japan’s largest and most diversified industrial companies, to discuss future opportunities for partnership in the clean energy industry. Since relocating its U.S. headquarters to Houston in 2016, Mitsubishi has created more than 1,200 jobs in Harris County. 

In addition to Judge Hidalgo, the full delegation included:

• Saba Abashawl, Deputy Director and Chief External Affairs Officer, Houston Airport System
• Susan Annoura, Owner/ Broker, Annoura Realty Group LLC
• Patsy Yoon Brown, President, Japan-America Society of Houston 
• Donna Cole, President and CEO, Cole Chemical 
• John Cypher, Vice President, International Investment and Trade, Greater Houston Partnership 
• Jorge Franz, Senior Vice President, Tourism, and Industry, Houston First Corporation 
• Karen Garcia, CEO & President, KHG Consulting 
• Roland Garcia, Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP; Commissioner, Port Houston 
• Tony Gardner, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer, CenterPoint Energy 
• Robert Gondo, Co-President, Tokyo Gardens Company 
• Rina Harris, Vice President, Strategic Business Growth & Engagement, CenterPoint Energy 
• Michael Koenig, Associate Dean for Innovation Initiatives and Executive Director of Executive Education, Rice University 
• Sophia Lewis, Sr. Coordinator, Greater Houston Partnership
• Shandra Mitchell, Vice President of Leisure Market Initiatives, Houston First Corporation 
• Željka Momirovic, Senior Trade Officer, Mayor’s Office of Trade and International Affairs, City of Houston; Director, Air Service Development, Houston Airport System 
• Dr. Bochia Ni, Director, Economic Division, Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Houston 
• Patrick Powers III, Founder & Principal, Powers Tax Advisors; City Council Member, City of Fulshear 
• Hannah Price, Director, Asia, Australia, and Oceania, Greater Houston Partnership 
• Peter Rodriguez, Dean, Jones School of Business, Rice University 
• Eugene Saitoh, Co-Director, Y&A Saitoh Foundation 
• Marina Saitoh, Business Analyst, Mitsubishi International Corporation; Co-Director, Y&A Saitoh Foundation 
• Odell Winn II, Director Economic Development, CenterPoint Energy

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