Missouri governor travels to Italy to promote Boeing, agriculture

Gov. Matt Blunt is in Italy this week promoting Boeing helicopters and airplanes along with Missouri agriculture and biotechnology.

Blunt left for Europe on Saturday for a weeklong trade mission with stops in Rome and Milan. While there, the governor plans to encourage Italy to replace its Chinook helicopters with Boeing-made CH-47F versions, and buy C-17 surveillance and command airplanes and new weapons systems.

Seattle-based Boeing has a plants across the country, including in St. Louis.

A spokeswoman for Blunt said Monday that the governor would meet with Italian officials and representatives from Missouri companies with operations in Italy.

The trip is being paid for by the Hawthorn Foundation, a nonprofit group that funds business promotion activities by governors and receptions for visiting dignitaries.

In a written statement, Blunt said that "by collaboratively working with our trading partners, Missouri can continue to grow its economy and will strengthen its position in the global marketplace."

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In 2006, Italy was the fourth largest European trade partner for Missouri and accounted for about 1 percent of the state's $12.8 billion of international exports. Trade with Italy in 2006 dropped 30 percent from the year before to $155 million.

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Last spring, Blunt spent two weeks in Europe, making stops in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Blunt has traveled twice to Mexico on trade trips _ once last month and in 2005.