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TRADE AND INDUSTRY

The Systems Division is responsible for the textiles export control system, origin certification, production notification arrangements, planning and implementation of Electronic Data Interchange on certification and textiles trade documents, computerisation of the department's certification and licensing systems, strategic trade control system and the rice control scheme.

The department is assisted in its work on commercial relations by 10 overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices. All overseas offices are under the administration of the Trade and Industry Bureau. (Trade Department's Internet address: http://www.info.gov.hk/trade)

Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices

These offices seek to promote Hong Kong's economic and trade interests by enhancing understanding of the Special Administrative Region among opinion- formers; closely monitoring developments that might affect the SAR's economic and trading interests, such as proposed legislation; and liaising closely with the business. and commercial sectors, politicians and the news media. They also regularly organise events to promote Hong Kong's image overseas.

The Geneva Office represents Hong Kong, China, as a Member of the WTO. It also represents Hong Kong as an observer on the OECD Trade Committee in Paris.

The Brussels Office represents Hong Kong's economic and trade interests to the European Commission and (through the commission) most of the member states of the EU. It also monitors Hong Kong's economic and trade relations with a number of European countries.

The London Office promotes Hong Kong's economic and trade interests in the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, and the Central and Eastern European countries. It also houses Hong Kong's representative to the International Maritime Organisation.

The offices in Toronto, Tokyo, Singapore and Sydney closely monitor economic and trade developments, proposed legislation and other matters in their host countries which may affect Hong Kong's trade and economic interests. Moreover, whereas the Singapore Office also looks after Hong Kong's commercial relationship with the Member States of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and serves as a direct point of contact with the Secretariats of APEC and PECC located in Singapore, the Sydney Office is also responsible for promoting Hong Kong's economic and trade interests in New Zealand.

The Washington Office focuses on monitoring and

on monitoring and liaising with the US Administration, Congress and think-tanks on legislation and government policies that may have implication on Hong Kong's trade with the United States and the rest of the world. The New York Office and the San Francisco Office are responsible for promoting economic and trade relations between Hong Kong and individual states of the United States.

Participation in International Organisations

World Trade Organisation

The WTO provides for a fair, predictable and rule-based multilateral trading system for trade in goods, services and trade-related intellectual property rights. It promotes

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