This article explains the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing between Saga Bank and Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and the strengthening of overseas business support.
Overview and Purpose of MOU Signing
Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), a statutory organization aimed at promoting trade in Hong Kong, announced on August 15 the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Saga Bank for mutual cooperation to strengthen economic and trade relations between regions. This MOU is positioned as part of Saga Bank's current focus on "consulting-type business operations" and aims to support customer companies' overseas business activities.
MOU Signing Ceremony: The signing ceremony held on August 15 was attended by HKTDC's Senior Vice President Sophia Chong and Saga Bank's President Hideaki Sakai, who stated, "Saga has many delicious specialty products that people don't know about yet. Trade and economic exchanges will become increasingly active in Saga, Nagasaki, and Fukuoka (for Saga Bank's customer companies)."
Specific Content of Mutual Cooperation
Five Main Areas of Cooperation:
- Mutual cooperation for promoting economy and trade between Hong Kong and Japan (mainly Saga Prefecture)
- Trade transaction support and mutual sharing of economic and trade information
- Promotion and acceptance of mutual business visits
- Introduction and support of companies hoping to do business in Hong Kong and mainland China
- Participation in international exhibitions hosted by HKTDC and business meetings between Japan and Hong Kong
Senior Vice President Chong responded to the MOU signing by saying, "I am confident that this MOU signing will enable us to support many manufacturers and SMEs," expressing expectations for strengthening cooperative relations with the bank.
Participation Results in Food Expo PRO 2025
From August 14 to 16, Saga Bank, jointly with its group company regional trading company Sagin Connect, exhibited a Saga booth at "Food Expo PRO 2025," Asia's largest food and ingredient trade fair hosted by HKTDC.
Participating Companies and Support Content:
- 7 customer partner companies exhibited for market expansion purposes
- 7 companies with sample exhibitions by Sagin Connect
- 7 companies in inspection missions
- Total support provided to 21 companies
During the BtoB (business-to-business) period until the 16th, bank employees attended business negotiations and supported negotiations.
Future Development Strategy
Continuous Export Support: The bank group intends to support companies in northern Kyushu that are enthusiastic about developing export markets to create continuous export success stories.
Market Expansion Plan: While Saga Bank currently has no plans to open branches or offices overseas, it aims to expand its business territory to China and Southeast Asia using the partnership with HKTDC as a stepping stone. The bank plans to strengthen information gathering and relationship building with partner companies in Hong Kong.
The article demonstrates that strategic partnership building through MOUs serves as a new model for regional banks' overseas expansion support, providing an effective mechanism to support customer companies' international business development.