China trade team in Oman

An 11-member Chinese trade mission led by Chu Hong Lee, vice president of Shanghai Municipality's external trade and economic cooperation committee, arrived in Muscat yesterday for a visit expected to last several days.

Investment specialists, engineering contractors, and suppliers of mechanical equipment are represented on the mission, among others.

The team will visit the Omani Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Omani Center for Investment Promotion and Export Development, the Rusayl Industrial Estate and historical areas of Nizwa.

Chinese exports to Oman increased 17.6% in 1993. Between 1993 and 1994, exports were "steady" according to Oman News Agency. Chinese goods sent to Oman included cotton textiles, photographic equipment and electronic goods.

Omani exports to China witnessed fluctuations. There was a big drop in 1993, only to improve the following year. Export figures for 1992 and 1993 were RO 532,000 and RO 35,000, respectively. Exports jumped to RO 171,000 in 1994 and to RO 1.54 million in 1995, falling again to RO 358,000 in 1996.