SAIPAN — CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds is asking President Donald J. Trump to ensure the Commonwealth is included in investment discussions now underway with Japan and the Republic of Korea, with a focus on encouraging partners to direct a portion of their new U.S. investment commitments toward restoring air service and helping revitalize the CNMI economy.
In her letter to President Trump, King-Hinds said the Marianas are the closest American community to Japan and South Korea and historically maintained close ties, noting that before the pandemic, visitors from the two countries accounted for most of the CNMI’s tourism arrivals and helped sustain local businesses, employment, and public services.
She wrote that since COVID-19, air service from Japan and South Korea has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, and said factors including the strong U.S. dollar and suspended routes have contributed to declining revenues, business closures, and erosion of the tax base supporting critical public services.
King-Hinds pointed to what she described as prior federal support through the Covenant Section 902 process and said the new agreements with Japan and South Korea present an opportunity for allied investment to produce measurable benefits in the Marianas, particularly through efforts that help sustain or restore routes that are essential but not yet commercially viable.
She said her office is prepared to work with the administration’s economic and trade teams through the National Economic Council, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Departments of Commerce and Treasury to advance the proposal.
