Breaking Into The International Forum

City Mayor Councillor Phil Bateman said today " Following my strategy of trying to use the Mayoralty to promote Industry Commerce and Culture during my Mayoral Year here in Wolverhampton. I have accepted an invitation to attend a Board Meeting of the Midlands World Trade Forum on Thursday the 2nd March.

I was invited to the meeting following talks that took place recently in the Mayor''s Office with the President of the Midlands World Trade Forum Mr Peter Mathews CMG and Brian Ashmead Head of International Trade UK Trade and Investment.

Basically they like the way that Wolverhampton is promoting itself and the fact that the City is seen to be a ''rising star''. The MWTF will be hosting its first Conference alongside the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce & Industry Conference, Exhibition & Awards on 10th March 2006. They will be holding two workshops - Doing Business in India and Malaysia including company case studies and advice from experts in these markets.
This invitation to attend their Board Meeting is a very useful opportunity, and I will of course use the meeting to gain more information as to how we can promote our City of Wolverhampton.

What I have been told is that when Peter Mathews CMG, the Midlands World Trade Forum President accompanied Tony Blair, Peter Mandelson and Digby Jones on a high-powered trade mission to China and India, he came back with more than he had bargained for - a £3 million contract for his company - Black Country Metals.

Peter was on the mission, led by the UK as part of its European Union presidency, as an adviser to the Government and the CBI. The delegation also include Jose Manual Borosso, President of the European Commission, Alan John, UK Trade & Industry Secretary and Ian Pearson, Trade Minister and MP for Dudley South. Digby Jones was there as director-general of the BCI as was Peter Mandelson as EU trade Commissioner.

Peter Mathew''s worldwide business operates in India and has a joint venture with the Chinese provincial government in Shandong Province. He had talks with government official sin China and the Minister for Industry and Commerce in India and won a contract to sell £3million worth of recyclable metals into the Indian market. The first leg of the trip to China saw the conclusion to the stalled negotiations over the so-called "bra-war" imports of clothing and textiles from Chinese manufacturers in to the EU.

He tells me that he has held talks with Chinese government officials about the steel crisis and the movement of raw materials into the Chinese market as well as free trade.

Mr Mathews is also chairman of the Convention of World Recycling committee, in this role he has invited a senior Chinese minister to address the organisation''s international conference being held in Beijing in May next year.

On the mission to India, Peter Mathews informed me that he was "very much encouraged" by the discussion with the Minister before the Prime Minister''s group left to return to the UK. He explained to me that "British companies need to understand the market in India is open for business and the small problems that arise can be overcome."

He said the law in India governing general activities and commerce was based on British law and the use of English as the trading language was also an asset.

"Those factors are a good start for anyone thinking about setting up in India" Councillor Bateman added "my Initial thoughts are that this is the sort of organisation that Wolverhampton should be involved with if we are to promote our city and our industry, but I will have a much better idea after the meeting and I shall report back to the leader of the Council on the detail of the discussions."