Australian Consul General Visits St. Louis to Strengthen Trade Ties
WTC St. Louis hosts delegation
On February 11th, the Consul General of Australia, Chris Elstoft, led a delegation from the Australian Consulate General Chicago to St. Louis. They met with the World Trade Center St. Louis (WTC). The meeting focused on enhancing economic and trade relations between St. Louis and Australia. The delegation’s visit followed a series of meetings with Governor Mike Kehoe and state department heads in Jefferson City on the previous day.
The Australian Consulate General Chicago covers 12 Midwest states in its territory, including Missouri. They met with key figures from St. Louis’s business development community to discuss growth opportunities in various sectors, including defense and international trade. WTC played a central role in organizing the event, bringing together regional partners from Missouri Partnership and Greater St. Louis Inc.
During the gathering, Consul General Elstoft praised St. Louis for presenting a “dynamic, proactive, welcoming region,” and noted the city’s strategic importance as a hub for business and investment. Elstoft also highlighted Australia’s strong position as a reliable trade partner, and emphasized the opportunities presented by St. Louis’s defense sector and AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Furthering the discussion, he underlined Australia’s strategic location as a gateway to Asia and stressed that Australians are “Asia-literate.” This is a valuable trait as the region continues its climb in importance on the global stage.
This visit served as another step forward in strengthening St. Louis’s global connections and fostering future economic collaborations. WTC, and local partners, continue to play an essential role in building international relationships that are driving economic growth in the St. Louis region.