asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will give details of all trade delegations, including their numbers and the countries involved, for 1985, 1986, 1987 and those proposed for the current year; and his views on the success or otherwise of such missions.
Written Answers. - Trade Missions.
24.
I propose to circulate a tabular statement in the Official Report giving the information required by the Deputy. This information is the most comprehensive analysis possible given the notice available.
I am satisfied that trade missions are a cost effective way of marketing Irish products abroad. Irish companies will not travel on a trade mission unless they consider that definite business opportunities might result. While they get some assistance from CTT the companies pay, on average, three quarters of all costs associated with the visit. From post-visit analyses carried out by that body, I am satisfied that the business generated for Irish firms justifies the resources allocated by CTT to these activities.
It will be noted that some trade missions take place in the context of meetings of joint commissions. These are co-operation arrangements between ourselves and certain State trading countries.
Trade Delegations
|
Year |
Number |
Total Companies Participating |
Countries/Regions Visited |
|
1985 |
18 |
201 |
Japan |
|
Saudi Arabia |
|||
|
Turkey |
|||
|
Malaysia |
|||
|
Singapore |
|||
|
Nigeria |
|||
|
United Arab Emirates |
|||
|
Kuwait |
|||
|
Hong Kong |
|||
|
Australia |
|||
|
USSR* |
|||
|
South East Asia |
|||
|
Peoples Republic of China* |
|||
|
1986 |
16 |
110 |
Japan |
|
Saudi Arabia† |
|||
|
United Arab Emirates |
|||
|
Oman |
|||
|
USSR† |
|||
|
USA |
|||
|
Denmark |
|||
|
South East Asia* |
|||
|
Australia |
|||
|
Iraq*† |
|||
|
Poland† |
|||
|
1987 |
12 |
139 |
Peoples Republic of China† |
|
Japan |
|||
|
South East Asia* |
|||
|
USSR† |
|||
|
Kuwait |
|||
|
United Arab Emirates |
|||
|
Oman |
|||
|
Germany |
|||
|
Proposed |
20 |
160 |
Peoples Republic of China |
|
1988 |
Australia |
||
|
Japan |
|||
|
Malaysia |
|||
|
Indonesia |
|||
|
Saudi Arabia |
|||
|
India |
|||
|
UK |
|||
|
USA |
|||
|
Denmark |
|||
|
Italy |
|||
|
France |
|||
|
Spain |
|||
|
Portugal |
|||
|
Germany. |
A number of the above destinations were visited more than once each year by Irish trade missions.
* Ministerial Presence.
† Joint Commission.