XN000022-1987-01-07 — Page 31

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987

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MODEST GROWTH DESPITE DIFFICULT TRADE CLIMATE

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HONG KONG'S TOTAL TRADE ATTAINED A MODEST GROWTH OF TWO PER CENT DURING THE 1985-86 FINANCIAL YEAR DESPITE AN UNUSUALLY DIFFICULT CLIMATE FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE, THE HON LYDIA DUNN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

TABLING THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HONG KONG TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (TDC) IN HER CAPACITY AS THE COUNCIL'S CHAIRMAN, MISS DUNN SAID ALTHOUGH THERE WERE INCREASES FOR HONG KONG'S IMPORTS AND RE-EXPORTS, DOMESTIC EXPORTS DECLINED BY SIX PER CENT.

THEREFORE, THERE WAS A GREATER DEMAND BY THE MANUFACTURING SECTOR FOR TDC'S PROMOTIONAL ASSISTANCE AND SERVICES, SHE SAID.

MISS DUNN NOTED THAT TDC ADOPTED A TWO-PRONGED STRATEGY OF INTENSIFYING ITS EFFORTS TO BOOST THE SALE OF HONG KONG PRODUCTS IN THE ESTABLISHED MARKETS OF NORTH AMERICA AND EUROPE, AND EXPLORING AND DEVELOPING NEW FRONTIERS SUCH AS JAPAN AND CHINA.

SHE SAID JAPAN, WHICH ANNOUNCED MEASURES TO OPEN ITS MARKETS TO MORE IMPORTS IN MID-1985, BECAME AN EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TARGET AND FOUR SELLING MISSIONS TO JAPAN WERE ORGANISED COVERING PRODUCTS RANGING FROM JEWELLERY TO CAMERAS AND BINOCULARS.

IN CHINA, TDC OPENED ITS FIRST OFFICE IN PEKING AND A SECOND OFFICE WOULD BE OPENED IN SHANGHAI LATER THIS YEAR, SHE ADDED.

SHE SAID TDC'S 20 OVERSEAS OFFICES PROCESSED 146 000 TRADE ENQUIRIES DURING THE YEAR, AND SOME 1 700 HONG KONG COMPANIES PARTICIPATED IN MORE THAN 80 OVERSEAS TRADE PROMOTIONS WHERE SOME HK$3 BILLION WORTH OF BUSINESS WERE NEGOTIATED OR CONCLUDED ON THE SPOT.

TURNING TO LOCAL ACTIVITIES, MISS DUNN SAID THAT IN ADDITION TO THE HIGHLY PUBLICISED EVENTS, TDC RECEIVED 206 INWARD MISSIONS FROM 40 COUNTRIES, INCLUDING 43 FROM CHINA.

THE TDC'S PUBLICITY DEPARTMENT ALSO DISTRIBUTED MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION COPIES OF ALL TYPES OF TRADE PUBLICATIONS ABOUT HONG KONG PRODUCTS TO BUYERS IN 175 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, SHE NOTED.

+TO ENABLE US TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF HONG KONG'S TRADE AND INDUSTRY, ADVISORY COMMITTEES FOR EACH OF HONG KONG'S MAJOR EXPORT SECTORS WERE FORMED TO ADVISE THE COUNCIL, MISS DUNN SAID.

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