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Commerce and Industry
health, safety, the environment, or intellectual property rights; or ensure Hong Kong's continued access to advanced technologies and hi-tech products.
The HKSAR also maintains an origin certification system to facilitate its exports to external markets.
Road Cargo System
The Customs and Excise Department's Road Cargo System (ROCARS) facilitates customs clearance through prior risk-profiling. To do this, a shipper or his agent is required to submit a few items of cargo information electronically to the department through ROCARS before the consignment is imported to, or exported from, Hong Kong. All cross-boundary goods vehicles, except those selected for inspection, now enjoy seamless customs clearance at the land boundary.
Intermodal Transhipment Facilitation Scheme
The Intermodal Transhipment Facilitation Scheme (ITFS) simplifies customs clearance procedures for air-land and sea-land intermodal transhipment cargoes. Enrolment to ITFS is voluntary. Transhipment cargoes of participating enterprises, conveyed by goods vehicles installed with electronic locks and tracking devices approved by the Customs and Excise Department, will normally be subject to inspection only once (if selected) at either the point of entry or exit.
Government Electronic Trading Services
The Government Electronic Trading Services system allows the trading community to discharge their statutory obligations in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner by submitting certain trade related documents electronically. Three government-appointed operators provide the services, which processed about 21 million transactions in 2013,
Trade and Industrial Support Organisations
Hong Kong Trade Development Council
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) was established under the HKTDC Ordinance to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade with places outside Hong Kong, with particular reference to exports; and to make such recommendations to the government as it sees fit in relation to any measures which it considers would achieve an increase in Hong Kong's trade. With its global network of more than 40 offices, including 13 in the Mainland, the HKTDC helps Hong Kong companies, especially SMEs, develop business opportunities in mainland and overseas markets, and acquire market knowledge and competitive skills.
The HKTDC has helped position Hong Kong as Asia's international exhibition and convention centre. It organised more than 30 exhibitions in 2013, nine of which were the largest of their kind in Asia and three were the largest of their kind in the world.
In the Mainland, the HKTDC's focus was on promoting Hong Kong as a professional, creative and financial services platform, a logistics hub, a partner for mainland businesses seeking global opportunities and a prime supplier of fashionable and lifestyle products. In mature markets, the
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