AustCham Korea Attends 2021 Trade Week Hosted by Seoul Business Agency (SBA)
On Tuesday, December 7, AustCham Korea representatives attended the 2021 Trade Week organised by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) to connect Korean SMEs with international business opportunities.
The business reception took place on Some Sevit (Sevit Island) in Banpo-dong, southern Seoul, bringing together several Ambassadors and VIPs from the business community.
AustCham Korea Executive Director Rowan Petz shared some opening remarks, reflecting on the pandemic’s impact on small business and the work of the Chamber and other organisations played in supporting these smaller companies.
“For the last twenty months, the world has been gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although many larger businesses are able to successfully navigate the on-going challenges, many smaller businesses and SMEs are continuing to find difficulties in finding solutions to cross-border restrictions, rapidly changing social distancing policies and global supply chain congestion.
The Chamber and business community are very thankful for Seoul Business Agency’s efforts in hosting the 2021 Trade Week in a hybrid format”, he said.
“Similar with Korea, governments around the world are committing to a ‘living with COVID19’ strategy, I believe it is now the time that we be proactive in assisting SME business prepare for the eventual normalisation of trade and investment.
The Chamber has also been actively supporting Small Businesses and SMEs in navigating the COVID-19 crisis by focusing on information sharing of relevant policies, organising industry related webinars hosting hybrid roundtable discussions, whilst also launching a Small Business Support program.
As a member-based organisation, AustCham Korea represents the interests approximately 130 companies – ranging from large multinationals all the way to start-ups and SMEs.
Having had the opportunity to work with SMEs from various industries, I am a firm believer that having a strong support network to nurture these growing players within the economy is vital to fostering vibrant and dynamic trade relations.
This is something we have also seen in the Australia-Korea bilateral relationship, which has been characterised by diversification and a rise in engagement of new sectors, such as critical minerals, defense and fintech.
In revitalising global trade, the 2021 TRADE WEEK will facilitate over 1,200 online export consultation meetings with 500 international buyers from more than 20 countries. This is a remarkable achievement given the current circumstances.
On behalf of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Korea, I would like to congratulate Seoul Business Agency and wish all the success for those participating in the 2021 Trade Week”, he said.
Prestigious speakers from Korea and abroad will attend the conference to deliver insightful ideas about global trade trends and strategies.
Read local news on the event here:
Watch the full event below:
