Ireland China Trade: “China is the world’s second largest economy, thus it is absolutely pertinent that Irish businesses understand how to enter into and conduct business in this rapidly expanding market.”
World Trade Center Dublin was delighted to host its inaugural ‘Doing Business in China’ event on Thursday, 27 June 2019. WTC Dublin organised this session with the aim of providing attendees with the essential tools to access this vast market. After a vibrant networking session, President of WTC Dublin, Ms. Maureen Pace, opened the event in the beautiful surroundings of the Royal Society of Antiquaries in Ireland.
This morning event took a practical view of how to conduct business in China, with the focus on Ireland China Trade; covering intellectual property rights landscape, marketing strategies, Chinese business culture, and business opportunities and challenges present. Insightful presentations were offered by Mr. Tom Carver, China IPR SME Helpdesk; and Mr. Duane Byrne, Business in China.
Duane Byrne focused on practical tips for Irish companies exporting to China. He highlighted the importance of the Chinese market to the Irish agri-food sector, with China being the second largest global market for Irish dairy produce. This strong trade relationship is only expected to grow with China estimated to be one of Ireland’s top 5 export markets by 2030. Duane offered invaluable advice on how best to market your products to Chinese consumers, such as the prevalence of the WeChat app, and how this app is used more extensively than email for day-to-day business communication.
Tom Carver discussed China’s IP framework. The importance of filing trademarks as early as possible was discussed at length, as China operates a ‘first to file’ trademark system which differs greatly to the rules that govern in Ireland. Tom concluded the event by offering free one-to-one IP consultations to the participating companies.
WTC Dublin would like to thank Duane Byrne and Tom Carver for their contribution, and the attendees for their engagement and stimulating questions. We would also like to extend a special thank you to our guests of honour: Ms Luolan Jin, and Ms Xiao Qi of the Embassy of China in Ireland.
Photo (left to right):
Duane Byrne, Business in China; Maureen Pace, WTC Dublin; Luolan Jin, Embassy of China; Xiao Qi, Embassy of China; Rani Dabrai, WTC Dublin; and Tom Carver, China IPR SME Helpdesk.