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may have implications for Hong Kong's trade with the United States. The New York Office and the San Francisco Office are responsible for promoting economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and individual US states and also seek to attract direct investment into Hong Kong.
The Guangdong Office, which came into operation in July 2002, is situated in Guangzhou City. Its main duties are to promote trade and economic relationships between Hong Kong and Guangdong Province, to provide better support services for Hong Kong businesses operating in Guangdong, especially the Pearl River Delta, and also to provide free advisory service and assistance to enterprises in the province, which are looking for direct investment opportunities in Hong Kong. It is also the first Economic and Trade Office to be established in the Mainland.
Customs and Excise Department
The Customs and Excise Department is responsible for enforcing various trade control systems, including the certification of origin system, the textiles import and export control system, the strategic commodities control system and the import and export declaration system. These systems aim to protect and facilitate legitimate trade. The department is also responsible for enforcing the criminal law for the protection of copyright and trade marks, as well as enforcing consumer protection legislation relating to the safety of various commodities, the integrity of weights and measures, and the marking of precious metals. In addition, to ensure that Hong Kong has an adequate supply of rice, which is an essential foodstuff for the local population, at a reasonably stable price, the department monitors the local stock of rice. Since January, the department has also taken on a new responsibility of enforcing the certification scheme for rough diamonds. Its aim is to stop trade in 'conflict diamonds' from fuelling armed conflicts, activities of rebel movements and illicit proliferation of armaments. Upon the signing of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, the department has also taken up the responsibility of enforcing the relevant control system through conducting factory inspections, consignment checks, costing verifications, blitz checks and investigations to ensure that goods exported under the Arrangement meet the requisite rules.
Intellectual Property Department
The Intellectual Property Department runs the Trade Marks, Patents, Designs and Copyright Licensing Bodies Registries, advises on policy and legislation related to intellectual property protection, provides civil intellectual property legal advice to the Government, and promotes public awareness of and respect for intellectual property rights.
External Commercial Relations
Regional Trade Agreements
Notwithstanding the Government's commitment to the primacy of the multilateral trading system under the WTO, it is accepted that free trade agreements (FTAs) may contribute to multilateral trade liberalisation if they are fully WTO-consistent. The Government is, therefore, prepared to consider negotiating FTAs with trading partners so long as these would be in Hong Kong's interests and contribute to multilateral trade liberalisation.