Hong Kong trade body plans 2026 conference to entice Gulf states

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council plans to host a conference next year to foster collaboration with Gulf states, the body’s new head has said, adding that US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable policies could result in further changes to its export projections.

Frederick Ma Si-hang, who took office on June 1, also told the Post on Sunday that he would conduct a 10-day business trip from the middle of next week to foster overseas ties, while Invest Hong Kong’s senior management would visit the US in the coming week to promote the city’s biotech sector.

During Ma’s interviews with other news outlets, he said the unpredictability of the United States president’s policies had led to a slowdown in investment growth globally and could result in further adjustments to the council’s export projections for the city.

The body earlier lowered its 2025 export growth forecast for Hong Kong from 4 per cent to 3 per cent.

The former treasury minister said the city needed to revive and strengthen its historical role as a connector for trade, while noting he was the first Hong Kong official to lead a delegation to the Middle East in 2006.

Ma said that the city’s trade with Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern countries had grown by more than 30 per cent in recent years, with investors from those regions becoming increasingly active.