Mr Davies, FED
pa. Seminars
this 300/min
From:
Date:
Miss Sanders 18/6
Ms
Major h 26.
M
Film
PS/Lord Caithness
14 June 1991
78
CC:
Private Secretary
Special Advisers PS/PUS
Sir J Coles
Mr Burns
Mr Miles
Mr Cooper, Planners
Mr Colvin, SEAD
Mr Cox, HKD
Mr Thomas, SPD
Mr Crystal, News Dept
PACIFIC RIM:
1.
DINNER, 13 JUNE
Lord Caithness hosted dinner last night for a small number of businessmen, academics and journalists to discuss the Pacific Rim. I attach a copy of the final guest list.
2. The conversation concentrated heavily on commercial opportunities for Britain in the region. There was general agreement that the high growth rates and sophistication of the Pacific Rim economies offered great potential to British companies. But it was pointed out that these were often expensive markets in which to establish oneself. There was some discussion of whether working through agents was effective. Mr Middleton (President, Association of British Chambers of Commerce) wondered whether larger British companies that were already well established might be able to offer assistance to smaller companies which could not otherwise afford a direct presence. He thought that there was scope for a more co-ordinated and sectoral approach to Chamber of Commerce missions. Mr Morrell (Barings) thought that Britain was hampered by an "empire mentality" which assumed that the world outside was still basically a sellers market. British companies did not market aggressively enough. Agents, the preferred British approach, were not effective instruments of market penetration.
/3.
Mr Mackrell
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