ENG-1991 — Page 128

INDUSTRY AND TRADE

organises trade and industrial investment promotion groups and goodwill missions, and handles trade enquiries. It receives official and trade delegations as well as individual businessmen from overseas, and extends to them appropriate assistance. It is authorised by the government to issue certificates of origin. Although an independent organisation, the chamber is represented on a variety of official advisory committees and other local organisations. It is a member of the International Chamber of Commerce and sponsors the Hong Kong Committee of the Pacific Basin Economic Council. The Hong Kong Coalition of Service Industries is an autonomous organisation within the chamber.

Established in 1990, the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce is an association of local Chinese firms, businessmen and professionals. It has a membership of over 6 000, representing a wide spectrum of trade as well as industry. It provides a variety of services including certification of origin, organisation of seminars, exhibitions, trade missions and other trade promotional activities. It maintains close links with trade organisations in Hong Kong and China. Since 1957, it has been authorised by the Chinese Export Commodities Fair authorities to issue invitations on their behalf to local Chinese firms. It has been operating courses for senior government officials of China since 1982. These courses are designed to enable participants to better understand the various aspects of Hong Kong's economy.

The Hong Kong Management Association was established in 1960 with the aim of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of management in Hong Kong. It runs management training courses, provides management consultancy services, publishes a bimonthly journal, The Hong Kong Manager, offers library information and translation services, and organises seminars, forums and inter-firm competitions.

The Hong Kong Exporters' Association was formed in 1955. It has a membership of 300 export and manufacturing companies. Its members together account for about one third of Hong Kong's total domestic exports. The association's objectives are to protect and promote the interests of its members; to disseminate trade information, and to act as a representative body to voice members' concerns and to assist in solving any trade problems which they may encounter.

Documentation of Imports and Exports

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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. There is, therefore, a requirement for all imports and exports of such products to be covered by licences issued by the Director-General of Trade. 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, pharmaceuticals, agricultural pesticides and ozone-depleting substances.

Together with other measures to curb smuggling by high-powered speedboats, the government enacted the Export (Prescribed Articles) Regulations 1991 in February. Under these regulations exports of television sets, video cassette recorders and video cassette players on a vessel of less than 250 gross tons are subject to export licensing control. In addition, licensing control on the transit through Hong Kong of certain munitions

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