Chamber in Review
International Connections
International Connections<br/>國際連線

HKGCC and the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden (HKCCSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance trade, technical and economic cooperation between the two economies.
Chamber Chairman Agnes Chan and HKCCSE Chairman Dr Eric Zhang inked the agreement on 8 September, witnessed by Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung and HKCCSE Honorary Chairman Björn Segerblom.
Sweden distinguishes itself within Europe through its robust sectors in retail furniture, food and innovation, presenting exciting investment prospects. Looking ahead, both sides expressed eagerness to foster closer collaboration. Chan proposed inviting Swedish speakers to the HKGCC International Business Summit on 9 December.

International Connections<br/>國際連線

Given that Korea received a record-breaking US$34.6 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, it was no surprise that our 9 September briefing on the country’s economy and markets was fully booked.
Speaking at the Committee meeting, Youngseok Kim and Fabian Kim from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) updated members that the number of foreign-invested firms in Korea has rocketed from 4,050 in 1998 to 19,009 in 2024. They noted that China is Korea’s largest trading partner, followed by the U.S. and Japan, and that Korea was the world’s 6th largest exporter in 2024, with exports valued at US$683 billion.
A lively Q&A session followed the presentation. The KOTRA representatives emphasized their role as a bridge, connecting members with Korean companies to explore investment opportunities.
At the same meeting, Dewan Saiful Alam was re-elected Chairman and Zaman Minhas Qamar as Vice Chairman, while Elton Chan, Anastasia Gordeeva and Simon Hui were newly elected Vice Chairmen. Congratulations to the new leadership!

International Connections<br/>國際連線

Ferial Mostofi, First Vice Chairman, Tehran Chamber of Commerce Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA), visited the Chamber on 25 August for talks on strengthening economic ties between Iran and Hong Kong. She was accompanied by Mostafa Shabanipour, Consul, Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Hong Kong and Macao, and Reza Ghotb, Managing Director, K.D.D. Group.
Mostofi highlighted promising areas for expanding trade and investment, such as energy, agriculture, technology and manufacturing. She noted that Iranian companies were well-positioned to meet the growing demand in Chinese markets by enhancing both quality and capacity.

International Connections<br/>國際連線

Charles Edwin Reeves, Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong, updated members on Canada’s trade and economic developments at the Americas Committee meeting on 18 September.
He said Hong Kong was the second-largest Canadian community overseas, and emphasized the deep historical, personal and business ties between the two economies. Consul General Reeves also covered various topics, including investment and business prospects in sectors such as technology, wine, retail, education and start-ups, as well as the upcoming 2026 renewal of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
During the same meeting, Mark C Michelson was re-elected Chairman, while Susana Muñoz Enríquez, Simon Chan and Yazdi Parekh were re-elected Vice Chairmen.

International Connections<br/>國際連線

It was a pleasure to welcome Luis Oswaldo López Álvarez, Ambassador of the Republic of El Salvador to the People‘s Republic of China, to the Chamber on 17 September.
The delegation was warmly received by Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung and Americas Committee Vice Chairman Susana Muñoz Enríquez. Both sides exchanged views on El Salvador’s investment opportunities and Hong Kong’s vibrant business landscape.
Ambassador Álvarez highlighted the country’s strategic advantages, including its prime geographic location, which enables short travel times to major cities in the Americas through 34 direct international routes. With numerous trade agreements, El Salvador offers access to 1.2 billion consumers across 41 countries. It ranked first in Latin America for trade facilitation, providing cost-effective operations and significant progress in digitalization and process streamlining. Notably, the time required to establish a company has been reduced from 30 days to eight days. Key investment sectors include aeronautics, food and beverage, digital assets, software development, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals and tourism infrastructure.

International Connections<br/>國際連線

AI is transforming drug discovery and diagnosis while accelerating advancement in biotechnology and genomics. This, in turn, is propelling Hong Kong's healthcare and biotech sectors forward, said Cherry Yeung, Senior Economist at Hong Kong Trade Development Council, during the Europe Committee's meeting on 2 September.
She highlighted that two-thirds of businesses involved in health tech and biotech in the Asia-Pacific region expect strong growth over the next two years. This is driven by ageing populations and growing trends such as the “vitamins and dietary supplements fourth meal,” which is becoming increasingly popular among younger, health-conscious Chinese consumers.
During the same meeting, CK Lee was elected Chairman, taking over from Alfonso Ballesteros, who stepped down after serving for two years. Stratos Pourzitakis, PhD and Bjoern Lindner were re-elected Vice Chairmen, while Philipp Hanusch was newly elected Vice Chairman.

International Connections<br/>國際連線

The Region of Murcia, which occupies just 2.2% of Spain’s land area, accounts for over 20% of the country’s fruit and vegetable exports. Remarkably, a quarter of these exports are classified as organic. This output is all the more impressive given the region's arid climate, winning it the hard-earned title of the “Garden of Europe.”
These were some of the fascinating insights shared by Sara Rubira Martinez, Secretary for Agriculture of the Region of Murcia, during her visit to the Chamber on 1 September. Accompanied by Javier Serra Guevara Serra, Deputy Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner, Trade Commission of Spain, and a delegation from Murcia, they were welcomed by Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung and Europe Committee Chairman Alfonso Ballesteros.
Located in southeast Spain, Murcia is also a leader in irrigation and wastewater treatment, recycling 98% of its wastewater primarily for agriculture – a technological excellence that it is happy to share with other areas.
Yeung briefed the visitors on Hong Kong’s business environment and competitive advantages, highlighted in the Chamber’s recent Asian Cities Internationality Index, and the just-released Global Innovation Index, in which the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster ranked first. He emphasized Hong Kong’s openness to collaborating with Spain, and encouraged more companies and talent to participate in the development of the Northern Metropolis.

Asia, Africa & Middle East Committee

 

Korea Trade Remains Vibrant

Given that Korea received a record-breaking US$34.6 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, it was no surprise that our 9 September briefing on the country’s economy and markets was fully booked.

Speaking at the Committee meeting, Youngseok Kim and Fabian Kim from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) updated members that the number of foreign-invested firms in Korea has rocketed from 4,050 in 1998 to 19,009 in 2024. They noted that China is Korea’s largest trading partner, followed by the U.S. and Japan, and that Korea was the world’s 6th largest exporter in 2024, with exports valued at US$683 billion.

A lively Q&A session followed the presentation. The KOTRA representatives emphasized their role as a bridge, connecting members with Korean companies to explore investment opportunities.

At the same meeting, Dewan Saiful Alam was re-elected Chairman and Zaman Minhas Qamar as Vice Chairman, while Elton Chan, Anastasia Gordeeva and Simon Hui were newly elected Vice Chairmen. Congratulations to the new leadership!

 

Learning about Business Developments in Iran

Ferial Mostofi, First Vice Chairman, Tehran Chamber of Commerce Industries, Mines and Agriculture (TCCIMA), visited the Chamber on 25 August for talks on strengthening economic ties between Iran and Hong Kong. She was accompanied by Mostafa Shabanipour, Consul, Consulate General of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Hong Kong and Macao, and Reza Ghotb, Managing Director, K.D.D. Group.

Mostofi highlighted promising areas for expanding trade and investment, such as energy, agriculture, technology and manufacturing. She noted that Iranian companies were well-positioned to meet the growing demand in Chinese markets by enhancing both quality and capacity.

 

Americas Committee

 

Strengthening Bonds with Canada   

Charles Edwin Reeves, Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong, updated members on Canada’s trade and economic developments at the Americas Committee meeting on 18 September.

He said Hong Kong was the second-largest Canadian community overseas, and emphasized the deep historical, personal and business ties between the two economies. Consul General Reeves also covered various topics, including investment and business prospects in sectors such as technology, wine, retail, education and start-ups, as well as the upcoming 2026 renewal of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).

During the same meeting, Mark C Michelson was re-elected Chairman, while Susana Muñoz Enríquez, Simon Chan and Yazdi Parekh were re-elected Vice Chairmen.

 

Exploring Opportunities in El Salvador   

It was a pleasure to welcome Luis Oswaldo López Álvarez, Ambassador of the Republic of El Salvador to the People‘s Republic of China, to the Chamber on 17 September.

The delegation was warmly received by Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung and Americas Committee Vice Chairman Susana Muñoz Enríquez. Both sides exchanged views on El Salvador’s investment opportunities and Hong Kong’s vibrant business landscape.

Ambassador Álvarez highlighted the country’s strategic advantages, including its prime geographic location, which enables short travel times to major cities in the Americas through 34 direct international routes. With numerous trade agreements, El Salvador offers access to 1.2 billion consumers across 41 countries. It ranked first in Latin America for trade facilitation, providing cost-effective operations and significant progress in digitalization and process streamlining. Notably, the time required to establish a company has been reduced from 30 days to eight days. Key investment sectors include aeronautics, food and beverage, digital assets, software development, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals and tourism infrastructure.

 

Europe Committee

 

Enhancing Healthcare through AI and Biotech    

AI is transforming drug discovery and diagnosis while accelerating advancement in biotechnology and genomics. This, in turn, is propelling Hong Kong's healthcare and biotech sectors forward, said Cherry Yeung, Senior Economist at Hong Kong Trade Development Council, during the Europe Committee's meeting on 2 September.

She highlighted that two-thirds of businesses involved in health tech and biotech in the Asia-Pacific region expect strong growth over the next two years. This is driven by ageing populations and growing trends such as the “vitamins and dietary supplements fourth meal,” which is becoming increasingly popular among younger, health-conscious Chinese consumers.

During the same meeting, CK Lee was elected Chairman, taking over from Alfonso Ballesteros, who stepped down after serving for two years. Stratos Pourzitakis, PhD and Bjoern Lindner were re-elected Vice Chairmen, while Philipp Hanusch was newly elected Vice Chairman.

 

Strengthening Hong Kong-Sweden Collaboration   

HKGCC and the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in Sweden (HKCCSE) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance trade, technical and economic cooperation between the two economies.

Chamber Chairman Agnes Chan and HKCCSE Chairman Dr Eric Zhang inked the agreement on 8 September, witnessed by Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung and HKCCSE Honorary Chairman Björn Segerblom.

Sweden distinguishes itself within Europe through its robust sectors in retail furniture, food and innovation, presenting exciting investment prospects. Looking ahead, both sides expressed eagerness to foster closer collaboration. Chan proposed inviting Swedish speakers to the HKGCC International Business Summit on 9 December.

 

Murcia: The “Garden of Europe”    

The Region of Murcia, which occupies just 2.2% of Spain’s land area, accounts for over 20% of the country’s fruit and vegetable exports. Remarkably, a quarter of these exports are classified as organic. This output is all the more impressive given the region's arid climate, winning it the hard-earned title of the “Garden of Europe.”

These were some of the fascinating insights shared by Sara Rubira Martinez, Secretary for Agriculture of the Region of Murcia, during her visit to the Chamber on 1 September. Accompanied by Javier Serra Guevara Serra, Deputy Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner, Trade Commission of Spain, and a delegation from Murcia, they were welcomed by Chamber CEO Patrick Yeung and Europe Committee Chairman Alfonso Ballesteros.

Located in southeast Spain, Murcia is also a leader in irrigation and wastewater treatment, recycling 98% of its wastewater primarily for agriculture – a technological excellence that it is happy to share with other areas.

Yeung briefed the visitors on Hong Kong’s business environment and competitive advantages, highlighted in the Chamber’s recent Asian Cities Internationality Index, and the just-released Global Innovation Index, in which the Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Guangzhou cluster ranked first. He emphasized Hong Kong’s openness to collaborating with Spain, and encouraged more companies and talent to participate in the development of the Northern Metropolis.

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