The strength of the pound abroad, which is crippling exporters, has scuppered trade missions to China and Mexico organised by Bradford Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber, which has already run successful missions to Mongolia, Thailand and Malaysia earlier this year, could not attract the Department of Trade's minimum figure of ten firms for the two missions. Chamber Management Services (CMS), which organises trade missions for the Chamber, today said a total of 70 firms from throughout the UK had shown an initial interest in the missions when they were promoted earlier in the year.

But only four companies signed up to the China trip, which should have taken place last week, and three planned to go on the Mexico mission, which was scheduled for November 9 to 13. Malcolm Sewell, the CMS international manager based at Phoenix House in Thornbury, said £2,500 had been spent promoting the two missions throughout the UK.

"But the effects of the pound abroad and the collapse of the economies in the Far East have caused people to withdraw their interest," he said.

The decision to scrap the China trade mission was announced by the Chamber's new president, Dr Derek Wood, at the first meeting in his new role.

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