INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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The department also issues certificates to enable Hong Kong products to claim preferential rates of duty on entry into Britain and those Commonwealth territories which grant preference to Hong Kong. Commonwealth preference certificates indicate the Commonwealth content in the goods covered and are issued against either specific undertakings to use certain Commonwealth raw materials or detailed cost statements prepared by public account- ants approved for the purpose. During the year exports of goods certified by the Commerce and Industry Department to be of Hong Kong origin were valued at $1,179 million. Exports to Commonwealth territories, including Britain, covered by Com- monwealth preference certificates were valued at $1,207 million.
United States law prohibits the importation from Hong Kong of a wide range of goods presumed to originate in the People's Republic of China or in North Korea unless evidence is produced to the contrary. The Commerce and Industry Department keeps under continuous revision procedures to establish this evidence. During the year, 'presumptive' goods valued at $616 million were exported to the United States and its dependencies under comprehensive certificates of origin issued solely for this purpose.
TRADE PROMOTION
Until recently export trade promotion was largely carried out by the Commerce and Industry Department acting on the advice of the Trade and Industry Advisory Board. The active interest of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and the Federa- tion of Hong Kong Industries in creating a favourable climate of opinion towards Hong Kong industry and its products, led to the provision in 1962 of public funds, for an experimental period of two years, to finance activities of this kind, and the two associa- tions formed a Public Relations Joint Committee for planning purposes. To avoid duplication of effort a Commercial Public Relations Co-ordinating Committee was appointed at the same time, under the chairmanship of the Director of Commerce and Industry, with a membership comprising the Chairmen of the two associations principally concerned, the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Tourist Association and the Director of Informa- tion Services. This committee was also called upon to make