CETRA to kick off post-SARS exhibitions, trade missions

Taipei, June 16, 2003 (CENS)--The China External Trade Development Council (CETRA) said yesterday that it would soon re-ignite exhibitions and trade missions two months after the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in Taiwan.

Under the instruction of Economic Minister Lin Yi-fu, the semi-official trade promotion organization will start again its trade promotion efforts, including local and overseas exhibitions as well as trade missions.

For example, the 2003 Taipei International Furniture, Decoration, & Building Materials Exhibition will be held in Taipei World Trade Center on June 30. This is the first exhibition of its kind to be sponsored by CETRA after the outbreak of SARS in Taiwan.

CETRA will also sponsor the Taipei Computer Application Exhibition on July 30 as scheduled, ranking CETRA officials said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) will add new trade missions and make exposures in several overseas exhibition arenas. The first of such efforts is a trade mission to be sent to the Middle East on Aug. 19.

Other trade missions will also be soon dispatched to the Mediterranean nations, South Korea, and Latin America. A auto parts and hand tool trade mission will be organized to visit Latin American within the year.

Several nations have suspended their visa applications for Taiwanese businessmen due to the outbreak of SARS in Taiwan. CETRA has dispatched its own trade specialists to help Taiwanese export-oriented manufacturers collect market information and seek trade opportunities, especially in Nigeria, Kenya, Bangladesh, Jordan, and Lebanon recently.