TNAG-0939-FCO40-1158-Visit-of-John-Nott--Secretary-of-State-for-Trade--to-Hong-Ko-1981 — Page 59

Textile Mission 1980 to Hong Kong: 31 August to 5 September

i

Foreword to mission report by the Minister for Trade,

Mr Cecil Parkinson

Early this year, after taking advice from a number of sources, including Hong Kong, I decided to lead a fact-finding mission to Hong Kong accompanied by a small number of senior Directors of major textile companies drawn from different sectors of the industry. Our objective was to consult as many Hong Kong experts as possible about how to improve the UK performance in the Hong Kong textile market. Behind this decision lay our concern at the domestic plight of our home industry, coupled with the fact that it was losing ground in one of the world's biggest textile markets, with only a 1 per cent share of US$1,475 million worth of total textile fabric imports into Hong Kong in 1979. At the same time Hong Kong is Britain's biggest garment supplier.

From the outset it was agreed that, while we would have to keep the team as small as possible, its members should represent the interests of the industry as a whole, not only their own companies. The businessmen who agreed to accompany me have all contributed to the attached Mission report, which was drawn together by Mr Leonard Regan, President of Carrington Viyella, from their comments and observations. This report is being circulated throughout the UK textile industry in the hope that it will provide a spur to more companies to make fresh efforts to penetrate this huge, expanding market.

I am greatly indebted to the mission members for agreeing to give their time and co-operation unstintingly to this initiative. The real harmony of the team and their identification with its wider objectives clearly impressed those we met in Hong Kong. The success of the mission has been acknowledged by H E The Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray MacLehose, and all concerned in Hong Kong. I should like to thank Sir Murray; the Director of Trade, Industry and Customs, Mr William Dorward; Sir Y K Kan and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, particularly for their assistance with the textile display.

The main burden of organisation was borne by Mr D March, our Senior Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong, and Mrs M Gingell of the China and Hong Kong Unit of the Department of Trade, who accompanied the mission. The members are greatly indebted to them for the speed and efficiency with which they mounted the operation.

The detailed market survey, which was prepared as a brief for the Mission by the British Trade Commission in Hong Kong, is attached as an annex to this report. I am glad that the Missioners accepted the basic theme of this report that a market exists and is worthy of further examination. The Americans clearly see the opportunity and are exploiting it. But it is not only the Americans, the Japanese, Taiwanese and South Koreans who outsell us in the woven cotton and man-made fibres market, but also the Germans, the Italians and the Swiss.

The report is being circulated through the various trade and export bodies serving the UK textile and clothing industry, who will provide further information if required. I sincerely hope that companies will follow up these leads as the team members themselves intend to do. Already they

1