Hong Kong Experience

Sounds intriguing? Just click to register and discover how it can contribute to the success of your business through Hong Kong.

The 50th HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, 15th HKTDC Hong Kong Baby Products Fair and 22nd Hong Kong International Stationery & School Supplies Fair concluded successfully at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on January 11, 2024. The four-day physical fairs attracted some 83,000 buyers from 135 countries and regions and saw international buyers return, a promising start for the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) trade shows this year. Read more here.

The 17th Asian Financial Forum (AFF), jointly organised by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), successfully concluded on 25 January 2024, attracting over 3,600 financial and business elites from more than 50 countries and regions, including over 70 overseas and Mainland China delegations. The Forum showcased Hong Kong’s thriving economy as participants explored opportunities, accelerated sustainable development and multilateral cooperation and launched Hong Kong’s conferences for the year. Learn more here.

On 30th Jan, the HKTDC London and the Hong Kong UK Business Forum (#HKUKBF) hosted our first pre-CNY networking event of 2024, welcoming around 40 guests interested in exploring business opportunities through Hong Kong and eager to connect with potential partners and service providers. HKUKBF Chairman, Professor Keith Jackson, and Joey Ko, OIC of HKTDC London office, both gave the opening remarks. Find out details by clicking here.

On 31st Jan, we launched our first business event, titled ‘Leveraging Hong Kong For International Growth,’ with Santander Navigator. The event drew participation from around 30 people and commenced with a panel of insightful sharing by Alex Phillips from Santander UK, Joey Ko from HKTDC London, Daisy Ip from InvestHK London, and Corin Wilson from the Department for Business and Trade (DIT). They provided a comprehensive overview of each function's role and how they could assist UK enterprises looking to extend their business presence in Hong Kong. Adding to the richness of the event, Hannah Lyu from SHOPLINE shared valuable insights on how UK companies could leverage the latest digital tools to effectively reach local consumers.

In the second half, esteemed guests, including Jurga Zilinskiene MBE, Callum Lumsden, Aline Burgmann, and Robert Lockyer, shared their entrepreneurial journeys. Providing first-hand insights gained from establishing and operating businesses in Hong Kong, they offered a nuanced comparison of doing business in Hong Kong versus other countries. Read more here.

On 1st Feb, invited by TUS Park and Hawksford, Joey Ko, OIC of HKTDC London Office joined the roundtable (hybrid) with a group of UK tech companies who are keen to explore how to use Hong Kong as the gateway to access mainland China market and beyond. Joey shared about the great supports provided by HKTDC to UK companies who are interested to do business in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Business Updates

1/ Hong Kong leading venue for ESG investment:

Two reports published by the HKTDC in October in 2023 showed that 65% of GBA enterprises had launched sustainable development plans while as many as 99.7% planned to boost or maintain environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) investment levels in the next two years. Read the full report here.

2/ Hong Kong sees over 130,000 newly registered companies in 2023:

A total of 132,246 local companies were newly registered with the Registry in 2023, according to the statistics released by the Companies Registry on January 15. The total number of local companies registered under the Companies Ordinance was 1,430,758 by the end of 2023, increasing by 39,080 compared to 2022. Read more here.

3/ Exporters bullish on prospects for year:

In November 2023, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 1.5% and 2.6% respectively over November 2022, the Census and Statistics Department announced. Comparing the three-month period ending November 2023 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 4.3% and 4.0% respectively. Read more here.

4/ Hong Kong economy rebounds to expand 3.2% in 2023:

On January 31, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released advance estimates for GDP for the fourth quarter and the entire year of 2023. According to the advance estimates, GDP increased by 4.3% in real terms in the fourth quarter of 2023 over a year earlier, compared with the increase of 4.1% in the third quarter. For 2023 as a whole, GDP increased by 3.2% in real terms over 2022. Read more here.

5/ Hong Kong retail sales grow 16.2% in 2023, bouncing back from contraction:

Hong Kong’s retail sales grew 16.2 per cent last year, rebounding from a small contraction in 2022. Provisional figures released by the Census and Statistics Department on February 2 showed retail sales in December rose 7.8 per cent year on year, hitting HK$36.3 billion (US$4.7 billion), slightly higher than the HK$34.2 billion logged the previous month. Read more here.