Second South Asian Commodity Fair and Business Forum in Kunming, China :

Opportunities and benefits aplenty for Sri Lanka

The second South Asian Countries Commodity Fair held with the Kunming Fair one of the top ten trade fairs in China, was successfully completed recently bringing abundant opportunities to over 58 Sri Lankan exhibitors who showcased the best of Sri Lanka ranging from tea, coir, gems and jewellery, spices, rubber and Ayurvedic based products, handicrafts and light industrial products such as cables, bicycles etc.

Having the second South Asia Commodity Fair in conjunction with the Kunming Fair could be seen as an important decision taken by China to bring her South Asian neighbours closer in mutually beneficial economic co-operation.

Professor G. L. Peiris who was Sri Lanka's special invitee delivered the Keynote address at the South Asia China Business Forum attended by over 800 special invitees. Addressing the forum under the theme "Facing global financial crisis - Economic and Trade cooperation between China and South Asian Countries," the Minister elaborated the benefits that could be achieved by the region through closer cooperation as well as opportunities available in Sri Lanka after wiping out terrorism.

This China-South Asia Business Forum held in parallel with the Fair aims at bringing the business community of South Asia closer to their counterparts in China and exploring new business avenues.

Having experienced the plethora of opportunities afforded by China for Sri Lanka's export market particularly with a record participation in the first South Asia Fair held in December 2007, the enthusiasm for participation among the Sri Lankan exporters were visible as the total participation numbered 58 enterprises/companies displaying their products at the Sri Lanka pavilion, attracting a whole host of new opportunities. Particularly in the context of Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) this event was timely for Sri Lanka, for exploring export opportunities.

The Kunming Fair has been sponsored jointly by the Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China and seven of China's provincial governments - Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Tibet, Chongqing and Chengdu and co-sponsored by several organizations from home and abroad.

The annual fair has been held successfully in June since 1993. Each session, it attracts about 5,000 overseas businessmen from around 40 countries. There are over 2,000 booths at each session, which include many international joint venture companies and companies from other Asian and Southeast Asian countries.

To encourage a large number of Small and Medium Scale enterprises from South Asia, the fair organizers provided participants with free exhibition facilities and met all transportation costs within China, as well as assisting with customs clearance and product promotion.

Sri Lanka's participation was organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Embassy in China and the Department of Commerce.

The Ministry of Commerce of China and the Peoples Government of Yunan Province also warmly welcomed the Sri Lanka government delegations headed by the Minister of Export Development and International Trade Professor G. L. Peiris that included Ambassador to People's Republic of China Karunathilake Amunugama, EDB Chairman Anil Koswatte, Director General Commerce, Neil Magedaragamage, Commercial Counsellor Alexi Gunasekera and Deputy Director EDB Anoma Premathilake.

At the high level meetings organized for the Sri Lanka delegation with the Chinese Trade Officials and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) the focus was on the global economic situation, enhancing cooperation, removing trade protectionism, and poverty reduction.