INDUSTRY AND TRADE
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Documentation of Imports and Exports
As a free port, Hong Kong keeps its import and export licensing requirements to a minimum. Products over a wide range do not need licences to enter or leave Hong Kong. Where licences are required, they are intended to achieve two main objectives. First, they help Hong Kong to fulfil its international obligations to restrain exports of textiles products, and to monitor the flow of these products into Hong Kong. Secondly, they help Hong Kong to control, on health, safety or security grounds, exports and imports of a few non-textiles products such as strategic commodities, reserved commodities, pharma- ceuticals, agricultural pesticides and ozone-depleting substances.
As a measure to curb smuggling, the government amended the Import and Export (General) Regulations in May. With the amendments, the import and export of left-hand-drive vehicles and outboard engines exceeding 111.9 kilowatts are subject to licensing control. Separately, import and export licensing control was introduced in May for biological warfare agents and any article or equipment which is used for the design, development or deployment of mass destruction weapons.
Hong Kong maintains a certification of origin system which enables the origin of goods which Hong Kong exports to be established, in order to meet the requirements of importing authorities. The Trade Department administers this system and issues certificates of origin where required. Other certificate-issuing organisations which have government approval are the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Indian Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.
Participation in International Organisations
Being an integral part of the Asian-Pacific economy and an important regional services centre, Hong Kong has a role to play and a contribution to make in regional economic co-operation. Hong Kong's economic linkages with the region have been expanding. In 1992, some 78 per cent of Hong Kong's total external trade was accounted for by the other 14 APEC member economies.
During the year, Hong Kong participated actively in the work of Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation culminating in the 4th APEC Ministerial Meeting held on September 10–11, 1992 in Bangkok. As to PECC, the Hong Kong Committee, set up in March 1990 with the objective of advising on Hong Kong's participation in and co-ordinating the territory's input to the PECC process, continued to participate actively in the various task forces. The highlight of the year was the PECC 9th General Meeting held on September 23-25 in San Francisco.
Hong Kong continued to play an active part in the informal dialogue initiated by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) with the dynamic Asian economies (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Malaysia). Hong Kong participated in all six workshops held between March and November in Paris, Bangkok, Seoul and Sydney, with topics covering foreign direct investment, economic integration, short term economic prospects, bond market, taxation and investment.
Customs and Excise Department
The Trade Controls Branch of the Customs and Excise Department is responsible for trade-related enforcement activities. It enforces legislation concerning certification of