ENG-2010 — Page 160

114 Commerce and Industry

to provide a platform for the trading community to submit certain trade related documents electronically, thereby discharging their statutory obligations in a cost- effective and environmentally friendly manner.

In 2010, the transaction volume was about 22 million. Three service providers. were appointed by the Government with effect from 2010. The appointment of a third service provider, in addition to the original two, has given users a wider choice and brought added room for healthy competition in the market. Enhancement measures have also been implemented to reduce traders' data input efforts. These include harmonisation of the data format of import and export declarations as well as the document for ROCARS, and the provision of a 'data inheritance' function between these two documents.

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 its global network of more than 40 offices, including 11 in the Mainland, the TDC helps its customers, mainly local SMEs, to develop business opportunities and trade contacts; and to acquire market knowledge and competitive skills.

The TDC has helped position Hong Kong as the international exhibition and convention centre of Asia. It organised more than 30 exhibitions during the year, 10 of which are the largest of their kind in Asia, while three are the largest of their kind in the world. These events attracted more than 32 200 exhibitors and more than 660 000 buyers.

In the Mainland, the TDC's focus was on promoting Hong Kong as a professional, creative and financial services platform, a logistics hub, a partner for Mainland businesses seeking global opportunities and a prime supplier of fashionable and lifestyle products. In mature markets, the TDC stepped up efforts to differentiate Hong Kong merchandise by highlighting reliable quality, stylish designs and adherence to stringent green and safety standards. The TDC's focus in new markets was primarily on pathfinding and image-building to identify business opportunities for Hong Kong SMEs.

The TDC publishes 15 product magazines and industry supplements that reach more than five million readers. It also produced about 170 trade reports, sector- specific updates and business newsletters in 2010, providing timely market intelligence on Hong Kong, the Mainland and international markets. The TDC's online marketplace (www.hktdc.com) featured more than one million registered buyers and more than 120 000 quality suppliers from Hong Kong, the Mainland and beyond. It also provided an online business matching platform for Hong Kong companies and overseas buyers.