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THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1990
INTEGRATED EUROPEAN MARKET OFFERS ADVANTAGES TO HK
THE POTENTIAL ADVANTAGES FOR HONG KONG ARE LIKELY TO OUTWEIGH THE POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGES UPON THE COMPLETION OF AN INTEGRATED EUROPEAN MARKET BY THE END OF 1992.
THIS VIEW WAS EXPRESSED BY THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR ANDREW LEUNG, WHEN HE SPOKE ON "EUROPE 1992 - IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG'S TRADE AND INDUSTRY" AT THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE FEDERATION OF INDUSTRIES AND COMMERCE IN KWAI CHUNG AND TSING YI THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING.
MR LEUNG SAID THE ELIMINATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE AND CUSTOMS PAPERWORK, FRONTIER DELAYS AND DIVERGENT RULES FOR FREIGHT TRANSPORT UNDER THE 12 SEPARATE MEMBER STATES OF THE EUROPEAN RCONOMIC COMMUNITY WAS LIKELY TO IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF DELIVERY OF GOODS TO THE COMMUNITY.
HE SAID THE REMOVAL OF FRONTIER CONTROL ON THE FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS SHOULD LEAD TO BETTER MARKET PENETRATION BY HONG KONG'S PRODUCTS IN THE MAJOR MARKETS.
"EUROPE 1992" WOULD ALSO RESULT IN THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS INCLUDING THOSE RELATED TO SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF GOODS.
HARMONISATION OF QUALITY, HEALTH,
"IT SHOULD EXPAND MARKETS FOR EXPORTS TO THE COMMUNITY IN SO FAR AS SUCH EXPORTS ARE ABLE TO MEET THESE HARMONISED STANDARDS. AND A MORE BUOYANT ECONOMIC GROWTH OF THE COMMUNITY MIGHT ENABLE IT TO ADOPT A MORE LIBERAL TRADE POLICY, WHICH SHOULD BENEFIT HONG KONG'S EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY, MR LEUNG SAID.
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HE SAID ONE POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGE FOR HONG KONG IN THE CREATION OF A SINGLE EUROPEAN MARKET WAS THAT INCREASED COMPETITION MIGHT LEAD TO THE INTENSIFICATION OF PROTECTIONIST PRESSURES FROM INDUSTRIES WITHIN THE EEC.
ACCORDING TO MR LEUNG, ONE IMPORTANT IMPLICATION OF "EUROPE 1992" FOR HONG KONG'S TOY MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY WAS THAT IF HONG KONG MADE TOYS WERE MANUFACTURED IN CONFORMITY WITH THE HARMONISED EUROPEAN STANDARDS, THEY WOULD SATISFY THR ESSENTIAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS AND THE "CE" MARK, WHICH DENOTES CONFIRMITY WITH THE STIPULATED SAFETY REQUIREMENTS, COULD BE AFFIXED ON THEM BY THE MANUFACTURERS.
"TO ENSURE CONFORMITY,
THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT STRONGLY RECOMMENDS THAT HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS HAVE THEIR TOYS TESTED BY LABORATORIES ACCREDITED UNDER THE HONG KONG LABORATORY ACCREDITATION SCHEME (HOKLAS).
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