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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1982

THE U.S. WAS THE THIRD LARGEST SOURCE OF HONG KONG IMPORTS, BUT WITH ONLY A 10 PER CENT SHARE AND ONE THAT HAD NOT BEEN INCREASING IN RECENT YEARS.

+ IF AMERICAN EXPORTERS HAVE BEEN A LITTLE SLOW TO EXPAND INTO THE HONG KONG MARKET, THE SAME CANNOT BE SAID FOR AMERICAN CONCERNS SEEKING TO INVEST AND PARTICIPATE IN HONG KONG INDUSTRY.

+NEARLY 44 PER CENT OF DIRECT OVERSEAS INVESTMENT IN HONG KONG MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES CAME FROM THE U.S.A. IN 1981,+ HE SAID.

MR BREMRIDGE POINTED OUT THAT AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT COVERING ALMOST 110 CONCERNS WAS LARGELY CONCENTRATED IN HONG KONG'S ELECTRONICS, CHEMICAL AND TEXTILE INDUSTRIES, BUT OTHER INVESTMENTS WERE ALSO IN BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, AIRLINES, SHIPPING COMPANIES AND BUYING AGENTS.

OVERSEAS INVESTMENT, PARTICULARLY FROM THE U.S., WAS MOST WELCOME AND THERE WAS NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST OVERSEAS COMPANIES, HE SAID.

ONLY THROUGH THE EXPANSION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT WITH EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE, COULD THE UNDERLYING ECONOMIC DIFFICULTIES OF THE WORLD BE OVERCOME, MR BREMRIDGE SAID.

HONG KONG OFFERED EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITIES NOT ONLY AS A MARKET AND INVESTMENT CENTRE IN ITS OWN RIGHT, BUT ALSO AS THE IDEAL BASE FROM WHICH TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE REST OF ASIA AND IN PARTICULAR WITH CHINA, WITH WHOM HONG KONG'S RELATIONS HAD NEVER BEEN BETTER.

+WE OFFER TO THE WORLD AN EXAMPLE OF SELF HELP BASED ON A FREE SOCIETY, LOW TAXES, HARD WORK, FREE TRADE WITH AN EVER OPEN DOOR TO THE U.S.A. IN PARTICULAR,+ MR BREMRIDGE CONCLUDED.

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