Chinese Companies To Purchase Cocoa, Timber Products

Accra, (Greater Accra Region) 14 Oct. Two Chinese companies today signed trade agreements with their Ghanaian counterparts for the purchase of timber and cocoa products. Mr. Liu Changping, deputy Manager of China Resources National Corporation and Mr. Ben K Kufuor, Managing Director of Ghana Primewood Products Limited, signed the first agreement for the supply of 2.5 million dollars worth of plywood to China. Mr. Ming Ji, Manager, China National Native Produce and Animal By- Products Imports and Exports Corporation signed for the supply of 4,000 tonnes of cocoa products with a representative of S.F.H Cocoa Company Limited of the United Kingdom, agents of the Cocoa Marketing Company. The products are to be exported to China by the end of the year. Mr. Liu and Mr. Ming Ji are part of a China government trade and purchasing delegation visiting the country to find Ghanaian products that "will be suitable for the Chinese market". The delegation is led by Mr. Gao Hucheng, Assistant Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation. Mr. Kufour noted that "it is a moment of extending our company's trading activities to the frontiers of a great country, China". It is a welcome diversification of Primewood's trading activities with its traditional partners in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy, among others. "We hope that this agreement with our Chinese counterpart is the first step of a mutual partnership and co-operation for both parties", Mr. Kufour said. He gave the assurance that his company would diligently perform its obligations under the agreement as well as others, "to protect our image and reputation and that of our dear country in order to manifest the importance she attaches to foreign trade". Mr. Ji stressed that the global hike in the price of cocoa forced his company ''to put a freeze on the importation of cocoa from Ghana through the UK agents on a barter system but now, we want to start to purchase Ghana cocoa again". Present at the ceremony were Madame Zhang Yuzhen, deputy Director General of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co- operation, officials of the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Chinese embassy.