We left the hotel
at 8 am and started out at the U.S. Consulate Ag Trade Office. We had a briefing
there with Chris Lee from the USDA and Joel Haggard from the United States Meat
Export Federation. They spoke to us about Hong Kong trade policy, where 95% of
agricultural products are imported. There is only 5% arable land in Hong Kong.
The area has a strong
western influence, as Lee explained that the Hong Kong dollar is based off of
the U.S. dollar. Now that Hong Kong is under the same government of China,
there is more Chinese influence in the area. He described Hong Kong as the
middle ground between China and the western world. There is more trust from foreign countries in
doing business in Hong Kong than in China because of their proven history. Also, the courts in Hong Kong are still
unbiased when it comes to trade disputes.
He also pointed out
that half of the world’s population was within a 5 hour flight radius from Hong
Kong. The city has less tariffs than in China. These combined make Hong Kong a
central trading hub. The USMEF representative spoke on the difficulties of
negotiating trade with China itself. One of the biggest challenges is the lack
of hard data on livestock production in China.
While there are “official” numbers, no one really believes them. Also, there are many non-Ag political issues
like the situation at the South China Sea that causes the Chinese government to
limit US products coming into China. Joel also talked about “China Math”, and
how a small number or % for China really means a huge number for demand. He discussed that currently China is 5% short
in their pork demand, and how that’s increased the prices of all pork cuts
throughout the world because they are buying all the pork they can get from
anywhere.
We ate lunch at a
family-style Chinese restaurant, called the Foo Lum Restaurant. We ate fish,
goose, eggplant, duck, pork, squid, and soup.
The fish came with its head on, and 6 brave students ate the eye balls,
which is given as a sign of respect in China!
Then, we had the
opportunity to tour the Hong Kong Jockey Club racetrack, where many students
went after the day was over to watch the races. It was different from the
United States tracks, as it had a grass turf for horses to race on. Also, the races felt like a combination of
the Kentucky Derby and the Minnesota State Fair. People from all countries and classes were at
the race track enjoying the event. Since
the only legal betting in Hong Kong can be on horses at the track, it was a
very busy evening for a lot of people.
The group went to
Ocean Park, an amusement park with rides and animal exhibits. There were rides
at the edge of the mountain and ocean. We also saw sharks, penguins, pandas and
other animals. The beautiful sunny day
helped us avoid jet lag, at least for a while.
The day was filled
with both entertainment and educational activities that students were able to
enjoy.
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