South Australia will open a trade office in Washington to pursue opportunities flowing from the AUKUS submarine pact and other defence programs.
Funding for the office will be included in next week's state budget, taking the number of SA trade offices in the United States to four. Others already operate in New York, San Francisco and Houston.
"As we build on South Australia’s advanced manufacturing capabilities and expand our skillsets to deliver on the AUKUS deal, it makes sense to expand our footprint in the US," SA Trade Minister Nick Champion said.
"Our connection with this important trade partner will continue to strengthen, and we want to ensure our state is at the fore when lucrative investment opportunities arise"
The US is South Australia’s second-largest export market and was worth $1.58 billion in the 12 months to the end of March.
It is also the state’s single largest foreign investor.
The Washington office means greater proximity to the US defence department and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as SA grows its advanced manufacturing capabilities.
The announcement comes after last month's decision to establish a trade office in Frankfurt, Germany joining those in the UK, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
Treasurer Stephen Mullighan said having a presence in major economies around the world would provide SA with significant investment opportunities.
"This latest expansion builds on the historic AUKUS agreement, putting South Australia front and centre for future investment and helping to create local jobs," he said.
