The NSW Government has announced plans to set up a Trade & Investment office in Tokyo.

The state says it will hire a new senior trade and investment commissioner to help grow investment and export opportunities in Japan.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian the new Tokyo office is part of a “rejuvenation” of NSW’s international trade and investment network.

“Under an improved structure, Japan will become the first of six international hubs, with extra resources managed regionally by our new senior trade and investment commissioners,” she said this week.

The NSW Government says the UK, Europe and Israel will be the sites of similar new hubs, including  the appointment of an agent general and senior trade and investment commissioner based in London, followed by ASEAN; greater China; the Americas; and the Middle East and India.

A stand-alone NSW Trade & Investment office will be the first of these. Japan is the largest single goods export market for NSW, receiving about one quarter of its total exports.

Reports say $180 million has been allocated to support the strategy.

“The NSW government has a long-established and close collaboration with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government ranging across urban design, healthy and smart cities, education, trade promotion and investment attraction and start-ups,” NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says.

“Japanese businesses are among the state’s oldest and largest investors in sectors such as resources, energy, food and agribusiness.

“More recently, Japanese investment interest has evolved towards technology, renewable energy, health and infrastructure opportunities including the Aerotropolis, making Japan an important market for us to nurture.”