The Queensland government has appointed Julia Herries as the Queensland Trade and Investment Commissioner – Hong Kong.
Herries will be the conduit for Queensland businesses seeking to trade with Hong Kong and garner investment from the city-state.
Herries will work to strengthen Queensland’s exports of manufactured goods and products to Hong Kong, the total value of merchandised exports being $380.1 million in 2017-2018.
“Ms Herries is well placed to represent Queensland interests in promoting trade and investment across all industries and has an extensive knowledge of the Greater Bay Area, including Southern China,” said Queensland Premier, Annastasia Palaszczuk.
Prior to commencing in this role, which began on Monday, July 22, Herries was director of executive education for the University of Chicago in Hong Kong, and before then held senior economic and investment roles with the Royal Bank of Scotland, Invest Hong Kong, and accounting firm EY.
In addition, Herries has a Master of Arts in East Asian studies and speaks fluent Mandarin. Harries has lived and worked in Hong Kong for the past decade.
“She is a strategic thinker who will lead our Hong Kong team in promoting Queensland exports and building the state’s investment profile there,” said Palaszczuk.
Hong Kong is a top five source market for foreign investment in Queensland. While in the past investment came from hong Kong directly, today, Hong Kong businesses and individuals are playing the role of a facilitator for Chinese investment overseas, bridging the gap between the Chinese and global markets.
Trade and Investment Queensland identifies opportunities for Queensland businesses involved in food and beverage manufacturing, health manufacturing and technology and innovation to export to Hong Kong.
In addition, the Greater Bay Area Initiative, which includes the cities of Hong Kong and Macau along with the region of Guangdong is a major investment currently underway. Within this framework, Hong Kong is seeking to leverage its position as a hub for intellectual property and joint projects with the Chinese mainland cities.
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