Brasília, June 26, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Demonstrating the possibilities of business with China and the rest of Asia, using Hong Kong as a trading post. This was the idea behind the seminar, "Hong Kong: Business Platform for China," held yesterday in the auditorium of the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), with representatives of the Export Promotion Agency, the Ministry of Development, and the Ministry of Foreign Relations.

According to Renaldo Lima, manager of Strategis and one of the organizers of the event, Asia represents a new frontier for Brazilian business. He insists that, of the US$ 200 billion exported by Hong Kong in 2002, only US$ 16 billion represent local production. The remaining US$ 180 billion are products from various parts of the world that are re-exported, mainly to Asian markets. Things being this way, the chances for Brazilian products to reach China and, indirectly, other Oriental countries, through Hong Kong, are greatly enhanced.

Between January and May of this year, Hong Kong holds 21st place in the list of countries that are the biggest purchasers of Brazilian products. Brazilian exports to Hong Kong, between 1990 and 2002, have practically doubled, from US$ 270 million to US$ 525 million.

Lima observed that China offers opportunities that have still not been exploited by Brazilian entrepreneurs: food and beverage products. In his view, despite the significant trade flow between the two countries, Brazilian goods exported to Hong Kong are mostly made up of raw materials and semi-industrialized products. To increase Brazil's participation in the Chinese food and beverage market, Renaldo calls for firms that operate in these areas to invest in trade promotion.

Something else that can help Brazil increase its exports is the end of the Asian pneumonia epidemic, since fairs and other trade promotion events have been resumed. (DAS)