Moutai, one of the nation's best known brands of liquor, is cashing in on the business opportunities at the ongoing 94th Chinese Export Commodities Fair.

Against a very traditional Chinese backdrop, the distillery is showing off a rich variety of Moutai liquors at the grand event.

Moutai, which is brewed in West China's Guizhou Province, is the first of China's distilled wines. The brand won its reputation worldwide in 1915 at a Panama Expo.

And ever since, Moutai has been listed together with Scottish Whiskey, French Cognac Brandy and Russian Vodka as the world's top liquors.

"The gala gathers thousands of business people from around the world. We are not only seeking trade deals here, but also new business partners," Kweichow Moutai Co Ltd General Manager Qiao Hong told China Daily.

The fair generally generates about 70 per cent of the deals signed for its annual exports.

The company achieved exports of over US$14 million in 2002, and it realized exports valued at US$10 million in the January-September period.

The company did not attend the previous session of the fair in April owing to the outbreak of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in China, but the company expects a massive number of deals to be signed at the ongoing event to make up for the losses.

"Everything is going well, and we have been, among other things, forging new co-operative ties, which will be crucial for our strategy to further crack the global market," Qiao said.

He added that the present exports only account for a mere 5 per cent of the company's total annual sales, and it's time that Moutai should gear up for a larger share in the world market.

Qiao said the company will redouble efforts to improve its sales network in the global market by assigning regional sales representatives in Europe, North America and the Far East, and by keeping the development of sales channels in good order.

He also said the company will spend more generously on product and brand promotions in its target markets including the United States, Japan, Canada and the Philippines.

Moutai liquors have found a ready market in several countries and regions abroad including those in Southeast Asia, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK). And the company is keen on greater business opportunities abroad.

The venture will attach more importance to the promotion of Chinese liquor overseas, and has set up a "Moutai friendship association" in Hong Kong.

He said that he is fully confident of much rosier prospects in the overseas market.

(China Daily October 30, 2003)