English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Through this statement, I will demonstrate to the Chamber that this Government is extremely well placed to respond to the unprecedented challenges we now face in the global business environment. Increasing the value of exports and the number of exporters in Wales have been central pillars of our economic strategy for some time. This aligns with the priorities set out in the well-being of future generations agenda to create a prosperous Wales. We have a comprehensive range of support for existing and would-be exporters that is focused on inspiring them to start or grow their exports, transferring the knowledge and skills to build their capability to export, helping them to connect with potential customers overseas and supporting visits to overseas markets. We assist companies at every stage of their export journey and we have helped Welsh companies to win new export orders. With our support, Welsh companies won more than £72 million in new export business in 2015-16. I have recently returned from leading a trade mission to one of the most important markets that we have - Japan - and I can confirm to you today that it was a resounding success. We, as a Government, are able to provide comprehensive support to companies before they go to a new market, during their visit and after they return. I saw first-hand how this support was tailored to suit each company and how it was put into practice. Prior to the mission, Welsh Government officials based here and in Tokyo helped companies to refine their offer, identify opportunities and set up meetings with potential customers and distributors. This ensured that each company had a worthwhile programme and was able to take full advantage of the time they had in market. Companies also benefited from financial support to travel to market on the trade mission, but I believe it is the softer support that money cannot buy that provides the greater benefits. During the mission, we arranged a lunch with key representatives of the Osaka chamber of commerce and an evening reception with local businesses and with key contacts. Given the extensive membership of the organisation - some 28,000 members - this was an excellent opportunity to raise the profile of Wales. Added to this, there was a pre-opening reception for companies participating in the British fair at the prestigious Hankyu department store. Wales featured as one of the main focal points and, again, this was an excellent opportunity for Welsh companies to network and speak to potential customers face-to-face. Our Tokyo team also spoke at the event to promote Wales as a tourism destination. I had the opportunity to speak at three events, so was able to reinforce the message that Wales remains firmly open for business following the recent referendum result. The fact that we had 19 companies with us on the trade mission, plus an additional six Welsh companies exhibiting at the Hankyu showcase, also demonstrated the dynamism of our companies and that we have no qualms about being proactive in looking outwards for business in spite of the challenges. As a Government, we cannot do the business for them, but we can add value by raising the profile and opening doors that may otherwise be inaccessible. Undoubtedly, the presence of a Cabinet Minister was vital in gaining access firstly to ministerial colleagues in Japan and secondly to key decision makers on the boards of some of the largest companies in the world, such as Sony and Hitachi. This I was delighted to be able to do. In a wider context, given the concerns expressed recently by the Japanese Government about Brexit, the timing of this trade mission could not have been better. I was able to allay some of these concerns, but also reaffirm the high regard in which Japanese companies are held in Wales. Alongside the packed programme of meetings and events, my officials ensured that all of this hard work was publicised and the visit maintained a high profile in both Wales and Japan. This included the use of social media and traditional print media. For example, I was interviewed by the highly respected 'The Nikkei', owner of the 'Financial Times', which enabled me to deliver our message even further to its wide circulation of circa 3 million readers. We also provided our businesses with an advertising platform in the form of a pamphlet, branded under the Wales banner. It is very soon for companies to have a complete picture on all the deals that will be closed as a result of the mission; such deals often take time to bear fruit. So far, the value of orders received by Welsh companies is around £680,000. Each company had a number of very positive discussions during the mission, which they anticipate will lead to even more exports to Japan. We'll be following up with companies on all the opportunities identified to ensure their export journey is as complete as possible and that they all see tangible outcomes. In conclusion, the mission was a great success for all involved. The large number of businesses we took showed a strong commitment to the market and each one has indicated to us that they found it highly beneficial. With a healthy mix of experienced and less experienced exporters, we found that, as an added bonus, there was also camaraderie between missioners that gave way to unrivalled peer support via the sharing of information, experiences and contacts. We are determined to support Welsh exporters as much as we can in a post-Brexit Wales.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Trwy'r datganiad hwn, byddaf yn dangos i'r Siambr bod y Llywodraeth hon mewn sefyllfa hynod o dda i ymateb i'r heriau digynsail a wynebwn yn awr yn yr amgylchedd busnes byd-eang. Mae cynyddu gwerth allforion a nifer yr allforwyr yng Nghymru wedi bod yn bileri canolog ein strategaeth economaidd ers peth amser. Mae hyn yn cyd-fynd â'r blaenoriaethau a nodir yn yr agenda llesiant cenedlaethau'r dyfodol i greu Cymru lewyrchus. Mae gennym ystod gynhwysfawr o gymorth ar gyfer allforwyr presennol a darpar allforwyr sy'n canolbwyntio ar eu hysbrydoli i ddechrau neu dyfu eu hallforion, gan drosglwyddo'r wybodaeth a'r sgiliau i gynyddu eu gallu i allforio, eu helpu i gysylltu â darpar gwsmeriaid tramor a chefnogi ymweliadau â marchnadoedd tramor. Rydym yn cynorthwyo cwmnïau ym mhob cam o'u taith allforio ac rydym wedi helpu cwmnïau o Gymru i ennill archebion allforio newydd. Gyda'n cymorth, enillodd cwmnïau Cymru fwy na £72 miliwn mewn busnes allforio newydd yn 2015-16. Rwyf wedi dychwelyd yn ddiweddar o arwain taith fasnach i un o'r marchnadoedd mwyaf pwysig sydd gennym - Japan - a gallaf gadarnhau i chi heddiw ei bod wedi bod yn llwyddiant ysgubol. Rydym ni, fel Llywodraeth, yn gallu darparu cefnogaeth gynhwysfawr i gwmnïau cyn iddynt fynd i farchnad newydd, yn ystod eu hymweliad ac ar ôl iddynt ddychwelyd. Gwelais yn uniongyrchol sut y cafodd y gefnogaeth hon ei theilwra i weddu i bob cwmni a sut y cafodd ei rhoi ar waith. Cyn y daith, helpodd swyddogion Llywodraeth Cymru sydd wedi'u lleoli yma ac yn Tokyo gwmnïau i fireinio eu cynnig, nodi cyfleoedd a sefydlu cyfarfodydd gyda chwsmeriaid a dosbarthwyr posibl. Roedd hyn yn sicrhau bod gan bob cwmni raglen gwerth chweil ac roeddent yn gallu manteisio'n llawn ar yr amser oedd ganddynt yn y farchnad. Roedd cwmnïau hefyd yn elwa ar gymorth ariannol i deithio i'r farchnad ar y daith fasnach, ond rwy'n credu mai'r gefnogaeth feddalach nag y gall arian ei phrynu sy'n darparu'r manteision mwyaf. Yn ystod y daith, trefnwyd cinio gyda chynrychiolwyr allweddol siambr fasnach Osaka a derbyniad nos gyda busnesau lleol a gyda chysylltiadau allweddol. O ystyried aelodaeth helaeth y sefydliad - rhyw 28,000 o aelodau - roedd hwn yn gyfle gwych i godi proffil Cymru. Yn ychwanegol at hyn, roedd derbyniad cyn agor ar gyfer cwmnïau oedd yn cymryd rhan yn ffair Prydain yn siop adrannol fawreddog Hankyu. Roedd Cymru yn cael sylw yn un o'r prif bwyntiau ffocws ac, unwaith eto, roedd hwn yn gyfle gwych i gwmnïau o Gymru rwydweithio a siarad â darpar gwsmeriaid wyneb yn wyneb. Siaradodd ein tîm Tokyo yn y digwyddiad hefyd i hyrwyddo Cymru yn gyrchfan twristiaeth. Cefais y cyfle i siarad mewn tri digwyddiad, felly roeddwn yn gallu atgyfnerthu'r neges bod Cymru yn parhau yn gadarn ar agor ar gyfer busnes yn dilyn canlyniad y refferendwm diweddar. Roedd y ffaith bod gennym 19 o gwmnïau gyda ni ar y daith fasnach, yn ogystal â chwe chwmni ychwanegol o Gymru yn arddangos yn sioe arddangos Hankyu, hefyd yn dangos egni ein cwmnïau a'n bod yn poeni dim am fod yn rhagweithiol wrth edrych tuag allan ar gyfer busnes er gwaetha'r heriau. Fel Llywodraeth, ni allwn wneud y busnes ar eu rhan, ond gallwn ychwanegu gwerth trwy godi proffil ac agor drysau a allai fel arall fod yn anhygyrch. Yn ddi-os, roedd presenoldeb Gweinidog Cabinet yn hanfodol wrth gael mynediad yn gyntaf at gydweithwyr gweinidogol yn Japan ac yn ail at y sawl sy'n gwneud penderfyniadau allweddol ar fyrddau rhai o'r cwmnïau mwyaf yn y byd, megis Sony a Hitachi. Roeddwn yn falch iawn o allu gwneud hyn. Mewn cyd-destun ehangach, o ystyried y pryderon a fynegwyd yn ddiweddar gan Lywodraeth Japan am Brexit, ni allai amseriad y daith fasnach hon fod wedi bod yn well. Roeddwn yn gallu tawelu rhai o'r pryderon hyn, ond hefyd gadarnhau'r parch mawr sydd gan gwmnïau Japan yng Nghymru. Ochr yn ochr â'r rhaglen lawn o gyfarfodydd a digwyddiadau, gwnaeth fy swyddogion sicrhau bod yr holl waith caled hwn yn cael cyhoeddusrwydd ac fe gynhaliodd yr ymweliad broffil uchel yng Nghymru a Japan. Roedd hyn yn cynnwys y defnydd o gyfryngau cymdeithasol a chyfryngau print traddodiadol. Er enghraifft, cefais fy nghyfweld gan 'The Nikkei' uchel ei barch, perchennog y 'Financial Times', a wnaeth fy ngalluogi i gyflwyno ein neges hyd yn oed ymhellach i'w gylchrediad eang o tua 3 miliwn o ddarllenwyr. Gwnaethom hefyd ddarparu llwyfan hysbysebu ar ffurf pamffled, wedi'i frandio dan faner Cymru, ar gyfer ein busnesau. Mae'n gynnar iawn i gwmnïau gael darlun cyflawn o'r holl fargeinion fydd yn cael eu taro o ganlyniad i'r genhadaeth; mae bargeinion o'r fath yn aml yn cymryd amser i ddwyn ffrwyth. Hyd yn hyn, mae gwerth archebion a dderbyniwyd gan gwmnïau Cymru tua £680,000. Cafodd pob cwmni nifer o drafodaethau cadarnhaol iawn yn ystod y genhadaeth y maent yn rhagweld y byddant yn arwain at hyd yn oed fwy o allforion i Japan. Byddwn yn cymryd camau dilynol gyda chwmnïau o ran yr holl gyfleoedd a nodwyd i sicrhau bod eu taith allforio mor gyflawn ag y bo modd a'u bod i gyd yn gweld canlyniadau pendant. I gloi, roedd y daith yn llwyddiant mawr i bawb oedd ynghlwm â hi. Dangosodd nifer fawr o fusnesau a ddaeth gyda ni ymrwymiad cryf i'r farchnad ac mae pob un wedi dweud wrthym eu bod wedi ei chael yn hynod fuddiol. Gyda chymysgedd iach o allforwyr profiadol a llai profiadol, gwelsom, fel bonws ychwanegol, fod cyfeillgarwch rhwng cenhadon hefyd a arweiniodd at gefnogaeth cymheiriaid heb ei hail drwy rannu gwybodaeth, profiadau a chysylltiadau. Rydym yn benderfynol o gefnogi allforwyr Cymru gymaint ag y gallwn mewn Cymru ôl-Brexit.