THE company that supplied machinery to raise the stricken Russian nuclear submarine, the Kursk, has broken into the Chinese market.

SMD Hydrovision entered the spotlight when the 18,000-tonne submarine sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea in October 2001.

Now it has agreed a deal to supply a remotely operated vehicle to China's government-owned Offshore Oil Engineering Company, in a deal worth $2.2m.

The equipment uses the same technology that retrieved the Kursk.

Mike Jones, SMD Hydrovision sales director, said: "We were the first Western company to supply this type of equipment to China, which puts us at a competitive advantage. Their offshore oil and gas business is growing at a remarkable rate, along with the rest of the Chinese economy."

SMD turned to the North East Chamber of Commerce's (NECC) international trade team to make sure the deal went through smoothly and payment was made on time.

The team, the national Chamber Awards International Trade Team of the Year, has collectively ensured nearly £6m of North-East goods have been safely and securely exported this year.

NECC operates a letters of credit service that simplifies exporting for North-East firms.

Ron Ingram, NECC lead international trade advisor, said: "Letters of credit are a secure and good way of doing business abroad, especially when you are dealing with high-value contracts or customers you are not used to trading with.

"SMD is a remarkable company, providing cutting-edge expertise to firms around the world.

"This deal could be the first of many in a market that offers enormous opportunities.