Email this article news.gov.hk
Hong Kong: Where Retailers go to grow (English only)
****************************************************

     The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) and Hong Kong's investment promotion agency, InvestHK, jointly organised a seminar on retail and e-commerce opportunities in Hong Kong together with Chinaforum Bayern e. V. on September 25 (Munich time) in Munich. After the welcome remarks by Head of Division for Foreign Relations Asia/Pacific of the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology, Mr Armin Schwimmbeck, the Director of the HKETO Berlin, Mr Ivan Lee, gave a presentation introducing the many advantages that the city in the heart of Asia could offer.

     "Hong Kong has established itself as the gateway to China in many aspects, ranging from financial services, retails to logistics", Mr Lee said. Retail and e-commerce are fields that offer huge potential for companies willing to invest in the region. Sharing the same cultural heritage and language with the second largest global economy ¡V Mainland China ¡V Hong Kong offers many unique advantages such as the rule of law supported by an independent judiciary, strong Government investment in infrastructure, an open Internet policy which allows the free flow of information, a business-friendly environment, as well as a low and simple tax system.

     Hong Kong is located at the heart of the Pearl River Delta (PRD), a region with 55 million people and double-digit GDP growth. "Measures including the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), and the Individual Visit Scheme between Hong Kong and 49 Mainland cities with a combined population of some 270 million people ensure that cross-boundary trade and exchange are facilitated and continue to grow with high speed", Mr Lee pointed out.

     These measures also give momentum to retail and e-commerce. CEPA offers favourable trading and investment conditions to Hong Kong-based companies (local or foreign-owned) interested in exporting goods, trading services and investment facilitation. German retail companies operating in Hong Kong can also enjoy these preferable conditions.

     Mainland visitors greatly contributed to Hong Kong's US$57 billion volume of retail sales in 2012 and partly explain the presence of 84 per cent of the world's leading luxury and fashion retailers and 41 per cent of all international retail brands in Hong Kong. In 2012, Mainland China continued to be Hong Kong's largest visitor source market with 34.9 million arrivals (up 24.2 per cent), accounting for 71.8 per cent of Hong Kong's total arrivals and significantly contributing to the total tourism expenditure of US$38 billion. Hong Kong will continue to be an excellent platform for European luxury brands to showcase their products to customers throughout China and the region.

About Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin

     HKETO Berlin is the official HKSAR Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Germany as well as in Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Ends/Thursday, September 26, 2013
Issued at HKT 23:28

NNNN

Print this page