The Bulletin

Chamber in Review

The Bulletin. December 2023

International Connections

It was an honour to welcome Jesús Seade Kuri, Mexico’s Ambassador to China, and Consul General Pablo Macedo Riba to the Chamber on 26 October. They were received by CEO Patrick Yeung, Americas Committee Chairman Evaristo Treviño Berlanga, and Vice Chairmen Mark Michelson and
Susana Muñoz Enríquez.
The Ambassador said he was excited to be in Hong Kong again, and hoped to expand business and cultural exchanges between the two economies. Just as Hong Kong serves as a gateway to the Mainland, Mexico is the hottest entry point into the world’s largest market, the United States.
Backed by the inclusion of a broader, more precise trade agreement in the form of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 2020, investors now have added security as USMCA includes a chapter on rules-based dispute resolution.

Nicholas Ho, the new Commissioner of Belt and Road Office, called on the Chamber on 3 November to outline the office’s focus for the coming year. Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung, Belt & Road Working Group Co-Convenor Edmond Yue and Asia, Africa & Middle East Committee Chairman Jonathan Lamport welcomed the Commissioner and his colleagues.
Ho explained that the BRI’s focus has shifted from mega-scale projects to smaller ones, as many large infrastructure projects and facilities built over the past 10 years since the project’s launch have been completed. As a result, smaller projects can develop business more easily and cheaply.
He also emphasized the importance of magnifying Hong Kong’s role as an interconnector to benefit from the BRI by facilitating business and trade in both inbound and outbound investments. He also shared that two major themes going forward will be green and sustainable development, and the digital economy.
The Chamber agreed to work more closely with the BRO to help members explore new markets and opportunities in light of more FTAs expected to be signed in the coming years, not least RCEP.

Americas Committee

Mexico: The Hottest Place for Businesses

Susana Muñoz Enríquez.The Ambassador said he was excited to be in Hong Kong again, and hoped to expand business and cultural exchanges between the two economies. Just as Hong Kong serves as a gateway to the Mainland, Mexico is the hottest entry point into the world’s largest market, the United States.

Backed by the inclusion of a broader, more precise trade agreement in the form of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 2020, investors now have added security as USMCA includes a chapter on rules-based dispute resolution.

Belt and Road Working Group

Meeting with Commissioner of Belt and Road Office

Ho explained that the BRI’s focus has shifted from mega-scale projects to smaller ones, as many large infrastructure projects and facilities built over the past 10 years since the project’s launch have been completed. As a result, smaller projects can develop business more easily and cheaply.

He also emphasized the importance of magnifying Hong Kong’s role as an interconnector to benefit from the BRI by facilitating business and trade in both inbound and outbound investments. He also shared that two major themes going forward will be green and sustainable development, and the digital economy.

The Chamber agreed to work more closely with the BRO to help members explore new markets and opportunities in light of more FTAs expected to be signed in the coming years, not least RCEP.

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