Some Japanese exporters are making their debut at Hong Kong’s largest food expo to make the most of their currency exchange advantage and use the city as a potential springboard to enter the Greater Bay Area.
Over 100 Japanese companies specialising in food and health, including at least seven joining for the first time, are showcasing their products at Food Expo Pro, which runs from Thursday to Saturday at the Exhibition and Convention Centre in Wan Chai.
The annual event, organised by the Trade Development Council, features hundreds of exhibitors from all over the world this year, helping to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international food hub.
Eiri Yokota, CEO of DripSquare, a Japanese company taking part in the expo for the first time, said the yen’s relative weakness against the Hong Kong dollar had created an “unprecedented opportunity” for exporting goods.
“Hong Kong has a well-established business network, and many Japanese companies see it as a springboard to the Greater Bay Area,” he said.
The bay area is Beijing’s plan to combine Hong Kong, Macau and nine other cities in Guangdong province into an economic powerhouse with an 87 million-strong population. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has also hailed Hong Kong’s role as a “superconnector” between the mainland and the rest of the world.
