Whitmer, Hoekstra push for foreign investment in Michigan at D.C.-area summit
May 13, 2025
Originally posted on DetroitNews.com
National Harbor, Md. — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer returned to the Washington, D.C. region Monday to promote foreign business investment in Michigan, even as President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth tariff actions roil the state’s critical manufacturing sector.
“I know that trade policy is creating a lot of stress in industries all across our economies,” Whitmer said during a panel of state governors at a U.S. Commerce Department event focused on promoting foreign investment in the United States.
“When Wes says that he believes the state-to-country relationship is more important than ever, we believe that as well,” she said, referencing fellow Democrat Wes Moore of Maryland. “We want to make sure that companies who invest in Michigan have got real partnership from our state government, and we’re working overtime to do that.”
The second-term Democratic governor’s visit marks the fourth consecutive month she has traveled to the nation’s capital to promote Michigan interests during Republican President Donald Trump’s second term in office — a term that has already featured tense showdowns with state governors.
Whitmer, notably, has focused on building a working relationship with Trump to navigate issues related to manufacturing, invasive carp and funding for the Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Macomb County. She has simultaneously sought to strengthen relationships outside the United States, participating in a March trade mission to the United Kingdom and Ireland.
“It is an exciting time. It is a stressful time. It is a challenging time,” the governor said on the panel alongside Moore, Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Alaska Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
Before the panel, the Michigan governor’s first public engagement Monday was to announce a new Detroit office for AquaAction, a Canadian and American business accelerator for startups and projects focused on freshwater-related problems like invasive species, microplastics, drinking water quality and more.
“We’re thrilled to welcome AquaAction to the great city of Detroit,” Whitmer said at the event. “In Michigan, we are proud to be home to 21% of the world’s fresh surface water. No matter where you are in Michigan, you’re no more than six miles away from a body of fresh water.”
AquaAction estimated that its U.S. expansion would generate over $1 million CDN (about $700,000 U.S. dollars) in capital investments annually with “hundreds” of new jobs created, though that impact will not necessarily take place in Michigan. The water nonprofit will use its Detroit office at the downtown Urban Tech Xchange as a hub to support other organizations.
