Mr Harcourt believes the key to export success is to target the surging middle class demand for cars in Asia and the Middle East, while providing components to the global supply chain and developing environmental technology for greater fuel efficiencies.
In the first three quarters of the year, exports grew by 7.4 percent year over year and imports by 4.8 percent, considerably short of the 10 percent target but comparable with Barclays forecasts of 5.7 percent export growth and 5.4 percent import growth.