Dairy sales to China

Press, 10 May 1979, Page 16

Dairy sales to China

By

SELWYN PARKER

in Dublin

An elite Irish trade mission has just returned triumphantly from China with a fistful of export deals.

It was Ireland’s first venture into the world’s most populous export market and, according to Mr Sean Condon, head of the semiState Export Board, the Chinese connection will be worth about S2OM a year within 12 months.

That figure represents a 2000 per cent increase on Ireland’s previous annual exports to China. Although only two deals worth a total S2.BM were

signed in the 12-day trip — one for the supply of powdered cream by the Irish Dairy Board (valued at SI.2M) and another for the SI.6M supply of hightechnology domes for the protection of airport antenna, most members of the 17-member delegation are close to tying up long-term orders. The Dairy Board, for instance, expects to be doing nearly SIOM of business a year by 1982, most of it in sales of butter and powdered milk. The Irish mission, which received V.I.P. treatment all the way, was the result of

more than “four years of hard work,” according to an Export Board spokesman. “It didn’t come easy.” Once the Chinese approved the delegation, it was made known they were interested in high technology, especially for industry. They also required that the mission be composed of managing directors, not export salesmen.

“Everything was done at the highest level,” said the spokesman. Now, with the ice successfully broken, other Irish companies are moving into the market.