INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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The council's chairman is appointed by the Governor. Its 18 council members include representatives of major trade associations, leading businessmen and industrialists, as well as two senior government officials.
To ensure the wide range of trade services offered by the TDC are useful and supported, the council receives extensive input from manufacturers and traders. Its seven specialised Industry Advisory Committees, with a total membership of more than 200, advise on services and promotional strategies.
Over the past 27 years, the TDC has developed a computer database of about 55 000 local manufacturers and trading firms, and 240 000 overseas importers, categorised according to product and market. This databank is the cornerstone of the council's Trade Enquiry Service, and is invaluable to companies who need to build their own network of overseas contacts. The TDC matches Hong Kong companies with buyers, sellers and agents from around the world, and processes over 300 000 trade enquiries globally each year. Enquiries arrive around-the-clock by telephone, facsimile, letter and personal attendance at the head office, overseas offices and the datashop service centres located in Hong Kong's prime commercial and industrial areas.
Overseas trade promotional projects organised by the TDC are designed to help Hong Kong companies expand their business in existing markets or to make inroads into emerging ones. In 1993, the TDC took more than 2 600 of the territory's companies to the frontline of markets, from Buenos Aires to Beijing, from Moscow to Basel and Hanoi. -Nearly $12 billion worth of business orders were taken, and participating firms reported
more than 70 000 new business contacts.
The TDC also plays an important role in promoting Hong Kong as the trade fair capital of Asia, organising 16 fairs each year, many of which are the largest of their kind in the region. These include Hong Kong Fashion Week, the Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair, the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, the Hong Kong Electronics Fair and the Hong Kong Book Fair.
In early 1993, the government agreed to pursue further a TDC proposal to build an extension to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), which is presently operating at near-capacity. The extension will more than double the size of the existing facility, placing Hong Kong firmly on the world map as the trade fair and conference capital of Asia.
The council has a special commitment towards developing China's burgeoning consumer market for Hong Kong companies and their products. This is achieved through special promotions of Hong Kong products, mounted in large mainland department stores to promote the territory's brand names. Under the TDC banner, Hong Kong companies also participate in mainland trade fairs and high-level business seminars in China.
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More recently, the council has added to its China programme by staging trade fairs in Shenzhen. Four events were launched in the past two years — the International Machinery and Industrial Supplies Fair, the Joint Venture Products Exhibition, the International Fashion and Accessories Fair, and the International Toys and Gifts Fair. To support this increasingly active programme, the council opened a new branch office in Shenzhen during the
year, in addition to its existing network in Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai. Closer to home, another important role of the TDC is to encourage Hong Kong manufacturers to upgrade local products, so they can retain and improve their competitive edge in world markets. Spearheading this initiative is the TDC Design Gallery, which