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COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

The Asia Division is responsible for the planning and implementation of Electronic Data Interchange and related computer systems for processing documents handled by the department, implementation of the rice control scheme, as well as the non-restrained textiles and non-textiles licensing and notification systems. The Europe Division is also responsible for multilateral matters relating to anti-dumping, rules of origin, trade and competition as well as trade and investment.

The Systems Division looks after the implementation and policy co-ordination of the textiles export control system and origin certification.

The Industrial Support Division gives support to SMEs, handles matters related to regional co-operation on these enterprises, provides assistance on industrial development and co-ordinates input on infrastructure support to industry.

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

Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices

The 10 Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices seek to promote economic and trade interests by enhancing understanding of the HKSAR among opinion-formers; closely monitoring developments that might affect the HKSAR'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 organise events to promote Hong Kong's image overseas. In addition, most of these offices seek to attract foreign direct investment into Hong Kong.

The offices are located in Brussels, Geneva, London, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington.

The Brussels Office represents Hong Kong's economic and trade interests in dealings with the European Commission and the member states of the European Union except the United Kingdom.

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 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 accommodates Hong Kong's representative to the International Maritime Organisation.

The offices in Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto are responsible for bilateral economic and trade relations in their host countries. The Singapore Office also looks after Hong Kong's commercial relations with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and serves as a direct point of contact with the Secretariats of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) and the Pacific Economic Co-operation Council (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 liaising with the US Administration, Congress and think tanks on legislation and government policies that may have implications for Hong Kong's trade with the United States. The New York

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