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British businesses join South East Asian trade mission

UK businesses have embarked on a trade mission to Singapore and Indonesia, in a trip jointly led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

15 companies from the UK joined the mission leader and APPG chair, Margot James, MP, in a bid to boost exports to the South East Asian countries.

The region is a rapidly growing area for infrastructure and education, and predictions say South East Asia will be the fourth largest market in the world by 2030.

This is the first time a trade visit has been jointly headed up by APPG and UKTI along with funding from Barclays, Prudential and the UK ASEAN Business Council.

Infrastructure and educational organisations met in Singapore on Saturday, where they will meet with figures from both the public and private sector as well as people from the education and business communities.

Companies from the UK will also visit the Institute of Technical Education, Singapore’s biggest career and technical education provider, and British-designed landscape project, Gardens by the Bay.

When the delegation moves onto Indonesia, representatives will meet government and business officials and visit the World Trade Centre 2, Jakarta’s first certified green building in its Central Business District.

Lord Green, minister for trade and investment, commented: “Getting more companies to export and attracting high-quality investment to the UK are key planks of the government’s Plan for Growth.

“Indonesia and Singapore are high growth markets and I am delighted to see this mission taking place.”

Margot James, MP for Stourbridge, added: “I am delighted to be leading this mission, the first by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Trade and Investment.

“This trade mission is a fantastic opportunity to give British companies access to the exciting and growing markets of Singapore and Indonesia which are vital to delivering the UK’s economic growth agenda.”

The UK is currently placed 20th in the world for exports to Indonesia, and third amongst EU member states, while goods and service exports to Singapore totalled £7.8bn in 2011.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .