About 17,000 small and medium enterprises have benefited from the $680 million in SME Export Marketing Fund grants approved up to November 30.

This was the message today from Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology Joseph Wong who told lawmakers the Government has been providing support to local exhibitors through the Trade & Industry Department and Trade Development Council.

The fund, operated by the department, provides funding support to SMEs for their participation in trade fairs and exhibitions that are export-oriented, overseas trade fairs and exhibitions, and study missions.

The council, one of Hong Kong's premier exhibition organisers, provides local enterprises participating in its international trade fairs, prominent positions. The majority of exhibitors participating in its fairs are local, many of them SMEs that lack the resources to participate in overseas trade exhibitions to promote their products and services.