PORT company Global Transport Logistics (GTL) is continuing its in-roads into the lucrative Far Eastern market by establishing a new division in Hong Kong.

The firm, based at Teesport, has set up GTL Asia to help increase its presence in the region, and it is to play a role in boosting the fledgling company's turnover beyond its first-year £1m.

GTL, which signed partnership deals with logistics companies in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Guangzhao earlier this year, is now working on increasing its network of manufacturers and suppliers in the Far East, to ensure GTL Asia can offer a service from source to delivery.

Gary Smith, founder and director of GTL, which has been trading for ten months, said if Teesport was granted permission to construct a £300m deep sea container terminal to allow direct imports from the Far East, the impact on business would be huge.

"The Chinese and Far Eastern market is nowhere near at its full capacity, and will grow for a long time. Therefore, it's really important for the future that we get in there now," he said.

"Our base is at Teesport and in the North-East, and so any extra business GTL Asia generates will also have a positive impact on the core business. If the deep sea terminal did go ahead, the impact on GTL would be massive and absolutely fantastic.

"While it is not in our business plan, as it hasn't happened yet, obviously GTL would be one of many companies to benefit from the deep sea terminal, and hopefully our work we're doing now in Asia will help us as well."

The plan for the terminal, submitted by Teesport owner PD Ports, would see the creation of up to 5,500 jobs in the region and, if the scheme passes through the planning process unopposed, could be operational by 2009.

Mr Smith said: "Whatever it is the customer may want we have, or we are developing contacts in Asia and will be able to find a supplier or manufacturer.

"The next three to six months will be important. We have seen significant growth in the ten months we have been trading - and the future, at the minute, is looking very exciting.