“The 24th Macao International Trade & Investment Fair” (24th MIF) and the “2019 Portuguese Speaking Countries Products and Services Exhibition (Macao)” (2019PLPEX) concluded successfully today (19 October 2019). Exhibitors acknowledged the role of the exhibitions as platforms, saying that the outcomes reached their expectations.
An exhibitor at the Qinghai Pavilion, Mr Deng, who participated at the fairs for the first time, said that his company as a producer of chemicals and fertilisers expected to establish co-operation with Brazilian companies with the help of Macao’s platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. He also expressed his satisfaction with this year’s fair.
Ms Guan, an exhibitor from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and a first-time participant of the MIF from a ceramic tiles production and sales company in Foshan, said that what her company gained from this year’s MIF were beyond her expectation, adding that she would continue to participate in the MIF next year and in order to achieve greater effects, expand the size of the booth. Mr Du, Head of a Guangzhou catering business, pointed out that his company had reached preliminary co-operation with several travel agencies and distributors to supply them with food and raw materials in the future. Another exhibitor at the Innotech and Startups Zone, Mr Lai, the representative of a Shenzhen technology company, noted that through business matching services provided by the fairs, his company successfully established contact with Malaysian and African traders.
In response to the Macao SAR government’s efforts to support Congjiang County of Guizhou Province in its poverty alleviation, this year’s MIF continued to set up the Guizhou Congjiang Pavilion. According to an exhibitor Mr Chen, thanks to participation in the previous fair organised by the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), his company had reached agreement with a Macao buyer on bottled water manufacture. According to him, the first batch of goods was already exported to Macao. At this year’s MIF, his company met with many local buyers during the business matching sessions and he was very confident about future co-operation, he added.
Ms Wong, an exhibitor at the Macao SME Pavilion, also said the outcomes of the business matching sessions met her expectations. Her company reached preliminary agreement with a large hotel in Macao to serve as its supplier of slippers. Another exhibitor Mr Wan noted that he had a few business matching sessions with Portuguese-speaking countries traders of pigs’ ears and Brazilian juice during the business matching sessions and received positive responses, adding that his company also reached an intent of co-operation with a Canadian candy trader and a Turkish dried fruit trader.
Exhibitors at the PLPEX also noted their fruitful achievements. Mr Patrick Fortunato Macauley Oliveira, the representative of a company from Cabo Verde, said that he received many inquiries about the hotel and tourism business and expressed his confidence that the PLPEX platform could help his company expand its market into Mainland China and promote African tourism to Asia. Mr Jael Alves Monteiro, the representative of another company from Cabo Verde, said two suppliers from Mainland China came to him with their cloths and relevant information in an attempt to establish co-operation with his company. Mr Claudio Orlando Franchin from Brazil pointed out that many food companies, investment companies and law firms from Mainland China, Portugal and Macao approached him about the exchanges and that he made the acquaintance of many new clients and suppliers.
In addition, the Macao Industrial Modernization Matching Sessions were held this year. Ms Cristina Figueiredo, manager of a food manufacture in Macao, mentioned her plan to expand the wholesale business and the importance of relevant certification for the sustainable development of her company. With the help of the matching sessions, she realised that government departments could provide assistance with ISO certification and the issuance of business licenses, she added. Ms Chan, a beverage producer in Macao, said that the matching sessions helped her learn face-to-face about the requirements of applications for ISO and M-Mark certification, which are necessary for her products to be sold in shopping malls and supermarkets, as well as about the follow-up services offered by relevant departments to assist companies in such applications. She acknowledged that the matching sessions boosted her confidence in SMEs’ application for different types of certification. As another manager, Ms See from a healthcare products manufacturer in Macao, mentioned that her consultations were about food safety certifications, such as ISO international certification, due to the need of her company to expand markets in Mainland China and Southeast Asia. During the matching sessions, staff from relevant departments patiently explained certification requirements and application procedures, provided her forms and recommended companies to offer suitable courses to their employees to increase the chance of getting certified.
Exhibitors Visited the Greater Bay Area to Explore the Economic Environment
Guided tours were also organised for traders from Portuguese-speaking countries, overseas regions, and local companies to visit some of the cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, including Zhuhai and Foshan, as well as Macao’s local communities. The aim is to promote the development of community economy, and through visits to business associations and companies in the Greater Bay Area and inspections of key local projects, to help companies from Portuguese-speaking countries learn more about policies related to the Greater Bay Area and development opportunities in the region.
