ENG-2010 — Page 163

Commerce and Industry 117

four selected trades with good potential in using testing and certification services. The four trades are Chinese medicine, construction materials, food and jewellery. The Government has accepted the HKCTC recommendations and has been working closely with it to implement them.

The Mainland has allowed qualified Hong Kong testing laboratories to test four types of Hong Kong-processed products for the China Compulsory Certification (CCC) System on a pilot basis. The four types of products are toys, circuit. installations, information technology equipment and lighting devices.

The Government also supports the development of the testing and certification industry through the accreditation service provided by the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) of ITC. HKAS operates in accordance with international standards and is active in international and regional accreditation communities. Through its mutual recognition arrangements, the results of tests, calibrations, certifications and inspections provided by its accredited service providers are widely recognised globally, thus facilitating cross-border business and trading activities.

Hong Kong's testing and certification industry is well known for its professionalism, integrity and knowledge of the international market. The enormous socio-economic growth in the Mainland offers huge expansion potential for this

sector.

Standards and Calibration Services

ITC's services in the areas of metrology and documentary standards provide the technical foundation for Hong Kong's standards and calibration infrastructure.

The Standards and Calibration Laboratory (SCL) is the official custodian of Hong Kong's physical measurement reference standards. It provides a comprehensive calibration service traceable to the International System of Units. It is a signatory to the Mutual Recognition Arrangement of the International Committee for Weights and Measures and its calibration certificates are recognised internationally by all the participating national metrology institutes.

The Product Standards Information Bureau disseminates information relating to documentary standards. It operates a product standards library and provides sales of standards and free technical advice service on standards-related matters. It also organises seminars to promote the benefits of standardisation. The bureau represents the HKSAR in regional and international standardisation bodies and encourages local experts to take part in international standardisation activities, participation in the International Organisation for Standardisation for the development of international standards. It also co-ordinates Hong Kong's input to APEC on standards and conformance matters and acts as Hong Kong's Enquiry Point and Notification Authority under the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.