Unique China trade opportunity for Gloucestershire businesses

Businesses in Gloucestershire are being given an exciting international opportunity to join GFirst LEP and other county leaders when they visit their trade partners in Wuhou, in the Chengdu District of China, in November.

 The visit will build on current export connections, as leaders will meet with Chinese Government officials and Wuhou businesses, with the intention of encouraging further export relationships, as well as showcasing products and services that Gloucestershire has to offer.

Accompanied by local business Join In China, Gloucestershire County Council and other leaders, the reciprocal visit is in place to continue the close working relationship with Wuhou, leading on from December 2014 when the county’s leaders and a number of Gloucestershire’s business leaders welcomed a delegation to Gloucestershire to discuss education and the county’s growth plans, whilst maintaining already established positive connections.

GFirst LEP is asking businesses who have an interest in export, to get in touch by expressing an interest in joining the delegation to China; businesses must meet the criteria below in order to be considered:

• To cover their own funds and costs for the visit.
• To be currently exporting products or services or have a keen interest in exporting to China.
• To be operating in the following sectors:
  • High tech IT: innovation and/or manufacturing.
  • Education.
  • Healthcare: including chemical and pharmaceuticals.
  • Culture and leisure: including retailers and local producers.

To express your interest, please email info@gfirstlep.com including the details above, before Monday 24th August.

David Owen, Chief Executive of GFirst LEP, commented: “The reciprocal visit is a fantastic opportunity for our local businesses to benefit from the trade partnership with the Wuhou, Chengdu District of China, building on already strong links and connections in place. Working so closely with China is proving to be a great way to drive and encourage sustainable growth in our county, we have already seen an increase in export intensive businesses from Gloucestershire.”

Qing Lin, Chief Executive of Join In China, said: "Wuhou, Chengdu, is one of the top second tier cities in China, and the trade mission is leading the way for businesses involved to collaborate, grow and succeed.  With full backing from the Wuhou government, this is certainly a great chance for local businesses that are looking to develop in China; participants can make the most out of this unique match-making opportunity. We are confident this mission is only the beginning for an exciting future!"