WITH the whole city clouded by SARS and many business activities cancelled or postponed, Carlo Addis, trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Commission (ICE), and his staff are busier than ever.

　　"The Italian companies don't come but they call," said the commissioner who has been at the position for two and a half years. "They want information and they want us to check for them."

　　Established in 1986 in Shanghai as one part of ICE to promote the image of Italian products around the world, to help Italian companies to be successful in foreign markets and to facilitate the relationship of local and Italian companies, the Shanghai office is identified as a consulting company by Addis.

　　The commission helps Chinese companies to make contact with good Italian partners and to identify Chinese partners or proper counterparts for Italian companies.

　　It attains this goal in four ways - collecting information, assisting in setting business agendas and selecting partners, organizing promotions and training local technicians.

　　The commission has to conduct lots of market research demanded by companies or prepared for its website.

　　Last year the commission organized 19 exhibits, such as auto shows and fashion shows.

　　Insgroupsto convince local technicians to believe in Italian goods, the commission invites them to Italy to be trained to use the machinery better.

　　ICE has five other offices in Beijing, Wenzhou, Chengdu, Nanjing, Hong Kong.

　　"China is a very important partner for us," Addis said.

　　Among all the exports from Italy to China, 62 per cent is machinery, followed by textiles and leather goods. Recent years have seen an increase in consumer goods.

　　Italy, after Germany, is the second largest European exporter to China. About 500 Italian companies are in China, 130 in Shanghai.

　　Addis said China is now an open market, but after China removes some further regulations by the end of 2004, in accordance with its WTO commitments, "many more people will come."