Nonetheless, he made similar comments to the Herald ahead of the trip.
He said the problem in the past was that companies “didn't convert enough” during trade trips – that is, they couldn't turn talk into money.
“We have the right players looking to build a business in Japan rather than just jump in and go with the flow,” Lacson told the Herald on Friday.
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Asked to explain his comments on Tuesday afternoon, he said: “What I'm saying is this is a strong delegation.”
When it was pointed out that representatives from many of the companies on the current trade trip – including Fonterra, Zespri and Christchurch Airport – would be accompanying former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on her visit to Japan in 2022, Mr Luxon said his comments were being taken out of context.
He noted, for example, that fewer Japanese tourists are visiting New Zealand compared to pre-COVID times, and stressed that he is on a mission to revitalise trade relations between New Zealand and Japan.
“Lacson loves to praise himself and put others down. We've seen it time and time again,” Workers' Party Leader Chris Hipkins said.
“He's spent the entire election campaign trying to undermine New Zealanders and now he's trying to undermine some of the biggest companies that underpin our economy.
“There has generally been goodwill when it comes to trade and representing New Zealand overseas. Mr Luxon does not appear to have the same respect for our country's international success, regardless of who is in charge.”
This is not the first time Lacson's remarks have landed him in trouble.
Interest.co.nz reported in April that Comvita chairman Brett Hewlett, at a luncheon during a trade trip to the Philippines, had asked Lacson to stop using phrases such as New Zealand being “open for business” and “under new management”.
Mr Hewlett said the term was unhelpful because New Zealand had never been closed to business.
Despite this, Lacson continues to use the phrase “open for business.”
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He has a packed schedule as he aims to increase New Zealand exports to Japan, attract Japanese investment to New Zealand and deepen geopolitical ties between New Zealand and Japan.
Rocket Lab on Tuesday agreed to launch 10 satellites into space for the Japanese company Synspect.
Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has announced it will add 30,000 seats to its Tokyo route between November and March.
New Zealand's Fabram announced on Monday that it will supply liquid hydrogen storage technology to Toyota.
When a New Zealand Defence Force plane broke down in Papua New Guinea, journalists received government funding to travel to Japan.
Jenny Tibshreney is the Herald's Wellington Business Editor, based in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. She specialises in government and central bank policy making, economics and banking.
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