HC Deb 12 January 1994 vol 235 cc238-9W
Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what specific steps he is taking to encourage the growth of trade between the United Kingdom and the countries of south-east Asia and the Pacific area.

Mr. Needham

As part of my export initiative, we are recruiting 20 export promoters from industry to spearhead our drive to identify business opportunities in the Asia Pacific region and to work with United Kingdom businesses to follow them up. I expect all to be in place by the end of this financial year; those who have been working with us for several months are already producing business for Britain.

We are developing strategic country market plans for 14 of our main markets in the region. These will help us to focus all of our resources—including the export promoters, additional desk officers in DTI, staff in our posts in the region, and our business advisers—towards those areas where we have identified the most promising opportunities for British firms.

We are undertaking a vigorous, proactive programme of ministerial visits—usually with accompanying businessmen—inward and outward missions, seminars and meetings with individual firms in order to develop our links with Governments and commercial organisations in the Asia Pacific region; identify market opportunities for trade and investment; and bring these to the notice of British industry and commerce.

We have also increased the export credit cover available for exports to the region, and we are providing financial support under the aid and trade provision to help firms bidding for major projects in eligible countries in the region.

The result of this programme of activities in what is probably the most rapidly developing area of the world has been an increase in British exports in the period January to September 1993 of 26 per cent.1 over the corresponding period in 1992. Nevertheless, much remains to be done to build on this encouraging performance and I am confident that the measures I have introduced will lead to British firms winning still more business in the Asia Pacific region in the future. 1 United Kingdom exports to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

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