The government has already signed a statement of cooperation this week to accelerate the hydrogen industry in South Australia with some of Japan’s largest companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Marubeni, along with Australia’s Santos and H2U.

In his first overseas trip after being voted in as Premier, the six-day trade mission aims to support exporters continuing to reel from tough new trading conditions in China. He also met with Japan Airlines yesterday to talk about direct Adelaide-Tokyo flights

Japan is currently South Australia’s fifth largest export market with an export value of just under $700 million a year.

“Momentum is building behind our hydrogen ambitions, with strong interest here in Japan,” Malinauskas said today.

“This morning I joined Federal Trade Minister Don Farrell at a business breakfast with the Australian and New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Japan, to outline our Hydrogen Jobs Plan and promote other opportunities back home in South Australia.”

“Today I am meeting with key ministers in the Japanese Government – Foreign Affairs, Environment and Natural Resources and Energy – to build strong relationships with the Japanese Government and speak about our hydrogen agenda.”

Malinauskas wants to attract further investment to the state’s Whyalla hydrogen project and find export markets for its eventual product, in his first overseas trip since winning power in March.

Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion along with Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis are also part of the six-day trade trip, while Federal Trade Minister Don Farrell is joining a minerals-focused meeting with the South Korean minister tomorrow.

Champion is today meeting with key groups to promote further investment and exports for the state’s food and wine industries, including at a Wine Australia function where he will launch a SA Wine Ambassadors program.

He is also meeting with the Tokyo-based baseball team the Yomiuri Giants and announced the Tasting South Australia page on the Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten site selling South Australian food and beverage products will now be expanded to include seafood wholesalers.

Champion said South Australian companies have generated almost $100,000 in sales since the online retailer, second only to Amazon with a 27% share of Japan’s e-commerce sector, launched a dedicated South Australian products page on June 3.

“Japan is the world’s third-largest economy and the fourth-largest e-commerce market with sales of $105 billion,” he said.

The SA Department for Trade and Investment brokered the Tasting Australia page on Rakuten’s e-commerce platform with its more than 111 million Japanese users, SA exporting products ranging from pet food to wine.

Around 2500 SA products are now featured on Rakuten involving more than 70 SA companies including 50 wineries like D’Arenberg, Henschke and Penfolds.

Other South Australian companies selling their products through the page include NovaFarms, Buzz Honey, Hither & Yon, Prohibition Liquor Co, Southern Kuya, Apiwraps and Pet Snacks.

Premier Malinauskas said the Statement of Cooperation around hydrogen was about sending a clear message, “South Australia is open for business and we are ambitious about hydrogen.”

The Statement of Cooperation focuses on key areas:

Growing a globally competitive hydrogen export sector through the development of a hydrogen export strategy and strategic partnerships. The export strategy will identify efficiencies in legislation, skills, inputs, and infrastructure required to establish a competitive export and value adding sector.

Enabling the industries of the future by fostering advances in new technologies and new industrial opportunities through research partnerships and projects that accelerate the development of large scale industrial decarbonisation programs.

Developing near-term domestic markets including mobility through the establishment of an ecosystem (production, distribution, and off-take applications) enabling a national hydrogen network of supply and application.