Minister Toivakka to take an export promotion trip to China
Press Release 22/2015
23 January 2015
Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka will make a Team Finland export promotion trip to Beijing and Shanghai from 26 to 29 January 2015 at the invitation of Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng of China.
The delegation led by the Minister includes more than 40 business representatives. The purpose of the trip is to promote Finnish food exports and the export and cooperation projects of the Finnish food industry and the ICT sector, as well as to attract foreign investment in Finland. In addition, the visit aims to develop trade relations and to support cooperation between Finnish and Chinese enterprises and organizations.
At the same time, this is the first export promotion trip of the Team Finland food industry export programme led by a minister. The Food from Finland export programme aims at doubling Finnish food exports by the year 2020. China is one of the programme’s main target countries.
“There is immense opportunity for Finnish enterprises in China, with its population of more than a billion people. China’s rising standard of living and growing demand create opportunities that we cannot afford to leave untapped. Finns have a great deal of know-how in the spheres of pure foods, food safety and high technology. Government input in opening up markets in China is particularly important at a time when our enterprises are seeking markets to compensate for Russia’s unilateral ban on the import of food,” Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka states.
During the trip, projects of Finnish enterprises are promoted through high-level meetings and several business events. The Minister will have meetings, among others, with the Minister of Commerce of China as well as with AQSIQ, the government authority responsible for food supervision and food permits in China, and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT).
The following enterprises will participate in the export promotion trip: Atria Finland Ltd; B&B Advisors Finland Oy; The Central Union of Swedish-Speaking Agricultural Producers in Finland (SLC); the Finnish Food and Drink Industries’ Federation; the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira; Fleetlogis Ltd; Food from Finland, the Team Finland export programme of the food industry; Food Safety Management Finland ry; Helsinki Mills Ltd; HKSCAN Finland Ltd; Hunajainen SAM Oy – Finnish Honey Company Ltd; Kalatukku E. Eriksson Oy; Lignell & Piispanen/Oy Gust. Ranin; Myllyn Paras Oy; Pekan Leipä Oy; Pekka Vehviläinen; Polar Oats Oy; Reilua.fi Oy; Snellmans Köttförädling Ab; Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation; Valio Ltd; VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd; Wipak Packaging (Changshu) Co. Ltd; Avain Technologies Ltd; DIGILE Ltd; Finland-China Education Association FICEA ry; Finnvera plc; F-Secure Corporation; Nokia; OpusCapita Group Ltd; Qvantel Oy; Roidu Ltd; Supercell Oy; Uros Ltd.
Additional information: Miika Tomi, Press Attaché to the Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade, mobile tel. +358 50 574 0507, during the trip on 26–29 January, mobile tel. +358 50 593 6336, Desk Officer Mikko Pötsönen, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 295 351 784