ENG-1966 — Page 88

INDUSTRY AND TRADE

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council was incorporated on the enactment of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council Ordinance at the end of September. At the same time, regulations were made to impose ad valorem charges based on the declared value of most goods covered by import and export declarations lodged with the Commerce and Industry Department. The revenue from these charges provided part of the income of some $11.5 million promised by the government for the first financial year. The council met on 10 occasions since incorporation and agreed on budgets and programmes for the current and following years.

The council defined its tasks as the provision not only of support for current export endeavours but also of guidance to Hong Kong traders and manufacturers in the production of new and improved products to be sold through new and improved channels and methods. The programme of overseas activities followed first by the office and subsequently the council centred on two-year cam- paigns to develop information on, and contacts with, markets in which it was felt Hong Kong could improve its performance. The first markets selected were Spain and Scandinavia. With the availa- bility of additional funds, more preparation for the campaigns than had been possible hitherto was undertaken through market research and public relations consultants. Each campaign opened with the Trade Development Office arranging a large Hong Kong stand in a recognized trade fair. The stand combined the exhibits of individual commercial firms with representative prestige displays, including one presented by the Hong Kong Tourist Association. In Spain, the fair selected was the Barcelona International Samples Fair in June, while in Sweden the St Erik's Fair, held in Stockholm in September, was chosen. The Hong Kong stand at Barcelona won an award for design, and wide publicity was gained in both countries. Orders worth several millions of dollars were received by the commercial participants in each fair. Arrangements to follow up the success of these activities included visits by groups of buyers from each country to Hong Kong, and preparations for the despatch of selling dele- gations of traders and manufacturers from Hong Kong to each market in the early months of 1967.

In 1964 the Hong Kong Government accepted an invitation from the Thai Government to participate in the First Asian International Trade Fair sponsored by the United Nations Economic Commission