DTI-CITEM Inks MoU on Trade Promotion and Cooperation with HKTDC

CITEM Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes Mediran (4th from left) and HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong (3rd from left) during the signing of the MoU between CITEM and HKTDC, witnessed by Consul General Germinia V. Aguilar-Usudan (4th from right), Vice Consul and Commercial Attaché Roberto Mabalot, Jr. (3rd from right), CITEM Chief Trade Industry Specialist Anna Marie Alzona (2nd from right), Vice Consul Allan Revote (rightmost), HKTDC Business Development Director Will Li (2nd from left), and HKTDC Business Development Section Head Tendy Lam (leftmost). (Hong Kong PCG photo)

HONG KONG 06 May 2024 –The Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotion arm of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), formally forged a trade promotion partnership with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 21 April 2024 at the HKTDC Office. The MoU was signed by CITEM Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes Mediran and HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong. 

The MoU signing was witnessed by Philippine Consul General to Hong Kong Germinia V. Aguilar-Usudan, Vice Consul Allan G. Revote, Economic Officer and Vice Consul and Commercial Attache Roberto Mabalot, (PTIC-HK). The Consul General highlighted the importance of bilateral trade and cooperation between the Philippines and Hong Kong. 

The MoU will help institutionalize the strategic partnership between CITEM and HKTDC in the area of trade promotion, exchange of trade information and market access facilitation to forthcoming trade exhibitions in the Philippines and Hong Kong. The said MoU also pledged to devote manpower and funding to increase the number of MSMEs, including the provision of complimentary booths for trade promotion organizations in all exhibitions they will launch in their respective jurisdictions. 

HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Chong promoted HKTDC’s Exhibition+, a relatively new hybrid exhibition model that comprises four key exhibition elements, including 1) HKTDC-organized physical fairs; 2) AI technology integrated business- matching platform Click2Match; 3) online-to-offline seminars under the Intelligence Hub; and 4) the hktdc.com sourcing platform that provides year-round online sourcing platform for exhibitors and buyers. 

Exhibition+ extends face-to-face interactions from physical exhibitions to an online smart business-matching platform, to help enterprises connect with business partners before and after the exhibitions. The said platform can be accessed via desktop or mobile through the HKDTC Marketplace App. 

CITEM Deputy Executive Director Mediran likewise shared the Philippines’ digital pivot in its renowned design expositions and trade shows through IFEX Connect and FAME+, which also provides a physical and online platform for IFEX Philippines’ food expo and the Manila FAME’s home, fashion, and lifestyle expo. 

IFEX Connect is a customized platform offering optimized sourcing, learning, networking, business-to-business (B2B) matching opportunities to accommodate various global markets. IFEX Connect features food exhibitors and helps Philippine food products to be more accessible for buyers. 

Meanwhile, FAME+ features similar elements that improves the searchability of an online product catalog of home, fashion, and lifestyle sectors across the globe. 

CITEM welcomes HKTDC participation in the upcoming IFEX Philippines to be held from 10 to 12 May 2024 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. END

CITEM Deputy Executive Director Ma. Lourdes Mediran (right) and HKTDC Deputy Executive Director Sophia Chong (left) during the signing of the MoU. (Hong Kong PCG photos)

For more information, visit https://www.hongkongpcg.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinHK/.