Despite being trapped in an economic deep-freeze, Iceland has signed up to participate in the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, while the United States is preparing for its participation regardless of the economic climate, a top official of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination said yesterday.

Iceland signed its participation contract with the organizer by mail. The Icelandic government said it hoped the Expo would be a turning point for the country's economy, said Hong Hao, director general of the bureau.

The country will rent a pavilion and allocate US$2 million to US$2.5 million for the Expo, Hereinn Palsson, the country's deputy commissioner general and director of the pavilion told Shanghai Daily.

The US is gathering private funds to take part in the Expo, said Hong. According to US laws, no government money can be used to participate in exhibitions, including the World Expo.

"That's the reason why the US has not signed a contract with the organizer," Hong said. To date, 183 countries and 45 international organizations have confirmed they will participate in the Expo, and 165 of them have signed contracts.

The financial crisis would have little impact on the Expo because most of the participants had allocated their pavilion money before the financial crisis began, Vicente Loscertales, secretary general of the International Expositions Bureau, has said at a working meeting in Shanghai.

Tickets for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo can be purchased in the second half of next year, according to Hong.

Standard tickets will be 160 yuan (US$23.36) each, although group and pre-sale tickets will be discounted. Night tickets will also be a little cheaper.

It is estimated that 400,000 people will visit the Expo each day with a peak of 800,000 visitors on certain days.

The event is expected to gross 6 billion yuan from ticket sales.

(Shanghai Daily December 16, 2008)