XN000022-1987-11-01 — Page 2

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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1987

HK TAKES PART IN MAJOR UK EXHIBITION

THE

HONG KONG IS PARTICIPATING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN INTERNATIONAL PLASTICS AND RUBBER EXHIBITION (INTERPLAS 87) TO BE HELD AT BIRMINGHAM'S NATIONAL EXHIBITION CENTRE FROM NOVEMBER 3 TO 7.

INTERPLAS 87 IS THE 14TH IN A SERIES WHICH STARTED IN 1951. IT IS THE LARGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT EXHIBITION OF ITS KIND IN THE ENGLISH SPEAKING WORLD.

THIS YEAR'S EXHIBITION INCORPORATES MORE THAN 1,100 COMPANIES DRAWN FROM 37 COUNTRIES WITH 600 STANDS OCCUPYING A TOTAL EXHIBITION AREA OF 40,000 SQUARE METRES.

ITERPLAS IS A FIRST CLASS "ЗНОР WINDOW" PLASTICS AND RUBBER INDUSTRIES WORLD-WIDE, AS WELL INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH PAD FOR AN EXTENSIVE RANGE OF TECHNIQUES.

FOR ALL OF THE AS PROVIDING AN NEW PRODUCTS AND

HONG KONG G STAND AT THE EXHIBITION IS PRESENTED BY INDUSTRIAL PROMOTION UNIT OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, THE STAND GRAPHICS DISPLAYED HIGHLIGHTS HONG KONG AS OFF-SHORE MANUFACTURING BASE, GIVING THE REASONS FOR SETTING BUSINESS IN HONG KONG.

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"WE ARE PROMOTING INDUSTRIAL OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG KONG ON A GENERAL BASIS, BUT, AS INTERPLAS 87 IS AN INTERNATIONAL PLASTICS AND RUBBER EXHIBITION, WE ARE PLACING MORE EMPHASIS ON OUR PLASTICS INDUSTRY ON THIS OCCASION," SAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT FOR INDUSTRY IN LONDON, MR DONALD FLETCHER.

"THE REASONS FOR INVESTING IN HONG KONG'S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES BEING: WE HAVE A CONSISTENT FREE TRADE AND ENTERPRISE POLICY; NO EXCHANGE CONTROLS; PROFITS TAX OF ONLY 18 PER CENT; A FRRE PORT WITH SIMPLE IMPORT AND EXPORT PROCEDURES AND A SKILLED AND PRODUCTIVE WORKFORCE.

"FURTHERMORE, WE HAVE THE WORLD'S SECOND LARGEST CONTAINER TERMINAL TOGETHER WITH THE BEST COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS IN ASIA, AND, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE ARE EXPORTING ONE BILLION POUNDS STERLING OF PLASTIC PRODUCTS A YEAR," MR FLETCHER EXPLAINED.

THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY ACCOUNTED FOR EIGHT PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S TOTAL DOMESTIC EXPORTS AND 10 PER CENT OF TOTAL INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT IN 1986.

HONG KONG CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE WORLD'S LEADING SUPPLIERS OF TOYS, WHICH REPRESENTED THE BULK OF THE INDUSTRY'S OUTPUT.

DOMESTIC EXPORTS OF PLASTIC

PRODUCTS DURING THE YEAR

WERE

VALUED AT NEARLY $13 BILLION. THE INDUSTRY HAS 5,460 ESTABLISHMENTS AND 89,447 WORKERS.

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