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The Hong Kong International Auto Parts Fair

"Last year, the mainland surged past Japan to become the world's No. 2 vehicle market after the United States," said Mr Andrew Leung, Honorary President, Federation of Hong Kong Industries and Council Member of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC). "Its automobile output accounts for about eight per cent of the world's total," he added.

With its proximity to the mainland and the implementation of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, Hong Kong is in a prime position to capture the mainland's booming auto parts industry. "Exports in this relatively new industry reached US$1.56 billion last year. The mainland, our largest market, took one quarter of that total," said Mr Fred Lam, Executive Director of the TDC.

In 2006, Hong Kong's exports of auto parts and accessories to the mainland grew to US$362 million, up nearly 18 per cent over the previous year.

Against this promising background, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, together with Paper Communication Exhibition Services and Hong Kong Electronic Industries Association Ltd, organized the 2nd Hong Kong International Auto Parts Fair from 28 April - 1 May 2007 at AsiaWorld-Expo. It aimed at providing a superior regional platform for the automobile industry. The fair was co-organized with Hong Kong Auto Parts Industry Association and Society of Automotive Engineers - Hong Kong Section and supported by the Changchun Municipal People's Government, Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau of Zhejiang, Bureau of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of Guangzhou Municipality, Fujian Provincial Economic & Trade Commission, Zhejiang Ruian People's Municipal Government, Automotive Parts and Accessory Systems R&D Centre, Federation of Hong Kong Industries, Federation of Hong Kong Machinery and Metal Industries, Hong Kong Diecasting Association, Hong Kong Productivity Council, Society of Automotive Engineers of China, and The Hong Kong Metals Manufacturers Association.

A Great Rendezvous for Global Buyers

The Hong Kong International Auto Parts Fair was an ideal marketing platform for both exhibitors and buyers in the region to meet, do business and exchange the latest industry information.

This year, a total of 263 exhibitors presented a wide range of parts and accessories to buyers. The major products on display included auto accessories, machinery for auto parts and accessories manufacturing, car care products, engine components, specialty equipment, design refinement and inspection devices, fuel and exhaust systems, garage equipment and quality testing services.

6,523 visitors from 108 countries and regions showed up at the fair and more than half of these were from other countries. Chinese mainland, United States, Taiwan, Australia, Canada, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand ranked as the top ten countries where the most number of visitors came from. In addition, a total of 45 buying missions, including more than 800 countries and 1,100 VIPs, were organized and invited to visit the fair.

The Auto Parts Fair also featured group pavilions hosted by Taiwan and three major automobile centres in the Chinese mainland - Changchun, Fujian, and Zhejiang. Riding on last year's success, the Techno Zone presented the latest technological developments. It was joined by two new areas, the Motorcycle Zone and the Accessories and Specialty Equipment Zone.

A Platform for Information Exchange

Besides showcasing an array of auto parts and accessories, the fair also featured eleven informative forums to help visitors keep abreast of developments in the industry. These were conducted by key automotive industry players like China FAW Group Corporation and SAIPA Automobile Manufacturing, while representatives from Australia, Chinese mainland, Poland, Pakistan and Hong Kong presented the market outlook and opportunities in their respective countries.

Two seminars were held during the four-day exhibition: "Outlook of Auto Parts Aftermarket in Chinese Mainland" and "Trends and Developments in Global Production, Marketing and Sales of Small, Task-oriented Vehicles and Their Parts and Supplies", where industry experts shared their valuable insights and experience.

The 2007 International Conference for the Asia-Pacific Automotive Industry also ran parallel with the Auto Parts Fair. Organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Commission, Hong Kong Productivity Council and HK Automotive Parts & Accessory Systems R&D Centre, this two-day event provided an ideal platform for information sharing by key industry experts from different parts of the world, including Toyota, Lotus Engineering, Key Safety Systems, Delphi Electronics and Safety Systems, China Auto Parts & Accessories Corporation, AIAG, etc.

The Legend Continues.

Riding on its success, the Fair will again be held from 28 April - 1 May 2008 at AsiaWorld-Expo. With the expected rise in vehicle ownership in the Chinese mainland leading to a huge demand for accessories, the Fair will be renamed as the Hong Kong International Auto Parts & Accessories Fair. Acting as a gateway to the Chinese mainland market, the Fair will definitely open up this buoyant market to the industry. Let the legend continue and be prepared to visit this exciting event again in 2008.

For further information, please visit the official website of Hong Kong International Auto Parts Fair at: http://www.hkautopartsfair.com

Or contact:
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
Exhibitions Department
Unit 13, Expo Galleria
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre
1 Expo Drive Wanchai,
Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 1830-668
Fax: (852) 2824-0026
E-mail: exhibitions@tdc.org.hk