ENG-2004 — Page 175

Commerce and Industry 141

The HKSAR maintains a certification of origin system to facilitate its exports to overseas markets. The Trade and Industry Department administers this system and issues certificates of origin. In addition, the Government has designated five organisations to issue certificates of origin the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, the Indian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.

Government Electronic Trading Services

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To maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness in the global business community, the Government has been promoting the wider adoption of electronic commerce in the trading community since the early 1990s through gradually mandating the submission of certain trade documents in electronic form. The Government engages service providers to provide the necessary front-end services (known as Government Electronic Trading Services (GETS)).

Hong Kong Awards for Industry

To promote and honour the pursuit of excellence by companies in the manufacturing sector, the Trade and Industry Department in collaboration with the Hong Kong Productivity Council, major trade and industrial associations and industry. support bodies

organises the annual Hong Kong Awards for Industry in product design, productivity, quality, environmental performance, export marketing and technological achievement.

Trade and Industrial Support Organisations

Hong Kong Trade Development Council

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC), a statutory body established. in 1966, is responsible for promoting and expanding Hong Kong's external trade in goods and services. With a global network of more than 40 offices in major business centres around the world, the TDC helps its customers, mainly local SMEs, develop marketing opportunities, trade contacts, market knowledge and competitive skills. It also seeks to project and uphold a positive image of Hong Kong as the international trade platform in Asia. To this end, it organised more than 350 promotional events in and outside Hong Kong in 2004.

Among its promotional events in 2004, the TDC organised 19 international trade fairs (seven of which were the biggest in the region) and three public exhibitions. These events attracted more than 16 000 exhibitors and over 1.2 million visitors, including about 150 000 from overseas. The TDC also organised participation by Hong Kong companies in major trade events around the world.

In its product and services promotions, the TDC placed particular emphasis on the Mainland. Apart from treating the Mainland as a fast-growing market, the TDC promoted Hong Kong as a professional service centre, trade services platform and partner for Mainland businesses seeking global opportunities as well as for overseas firms targeting the Mainland market. It also emphasised the combined strengths of