INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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increased imports from Asia if the countries of this area were to expand their imports of Australian primary produce, minerals, and manufactured goods.
The mission found that goodwill towards Hong Kong existed throughout Australia, together with a considerable interest in the Colony's products. The mission was able to direct attention to the second project in the Colony's trade promotion programme, participation in the Sydney International Trade Fair in August. Hong Kong's stand of 2,000 square feet displayed a wide selection of quality products and proved to be one of the most attractive and popular at the Fair. A delegation of six, led by the Hon Dhun Ruttonjee, OBE, JP, a member of Legislative Council, recorded nearly 400 inquiries from prospective purchasers of some 600 differ- ent types of Hong Kong manufactures.
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The newly established Hong Kong Government Trade Repre- sentative's Office in Australia played a major part in the organiza- tion of the activities referred to above, and these activities in turn helped to publicize the services offered by that office. An increasing number of businessmen both in Australia and in the Colony now channel their inquiries through the office.
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During 1961, about 43% of Hong Kong's domestic exports went to the United States of America and Britain. There is general recognition that over-dependence on these two markets is dan- gerous, and that there is a need to diversify the Colony's markets as well as the products which it sells to them. Government has therefore accepted the advice of the Trade and Industry Advisory Board to look more closely 'at potential markets hitherto little penetrated by Hong Kong goods. Officers of the Commerce and Industry Department undertook exploratory visits to South America and the Middle East with the object of assessing the possibility of promoting exports to these areas. It is intended that these visits be followed by other forms of trade promotion in the same areas in the near future.
The Trade Development Branch of the Commerce and Industry Department is responsible for organizing the Colony's official trade promotion activities, answering trade inquiries and arranging for the reception of overseas trade missions and business visitors. During the year, Government-sponsored trade missions from South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil and Egypt visited the Colony, in addition