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Commerce and industry

In 2019, the Customs and Excise Department successfully prosecuted 59 companies and two offenders involving the unlicensed import and export of strategic commodities, resulting in fines totalling $660,000, Goods valued at $2.07 million were confiscated.

Customs Cooperation

The Customs and Excise Department plays an active role in the work of the World Customs. Organisation (WCO) and the APEC's Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures. It maintains close liaison with the WCO and seconds one officer each to the WCO Compliance and Facilitation Directorate in Brussels, the WCO Regional Intelligence Liaison Office for Asia and the Pacific in Seoul, and the WCO Asia Pacific Regional Office for Capacity Building in Bangkok.

Local companies that satisfy the department's security standards may be accredited under the Hong Kong Authorised Economic Operator Programme and enjoy customs facilitation, including reduced inspection and prioritised clearance of their goods in Hong Kong and in economies with mutual recognition and arrangements with Hong Kong. As at December, these economies included the Mainland, Australia, Canada, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand.

The department shares intelligence and enforcement experience with other law enforcement agencies. It also maintains bilateral cooperation arrangements with a number of customs administrations.

Participation in Belt and Road Initiative

The government adopts a whole-government approach and a five-pronged key strategy in the pursuit of the B&R Initiative, to consolidate Hong Kong's position as both a key link and the prime B&R platform. The strategy comprises enhancing policy coordination, fully leveraging Hong Kong's unique advantages, making the best use of Hong Kong's position as a professional services hub, promoting project participation, and establishing partnership and collaboration. The Commissioner for Belt and Road assumed office in June and is the focal point of contact between the HKSAR Government and B&R stakeholders.

In July, in accordance with the Arrangement between the National Development and Reform Commission and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for Advancing Hong Kong's Full Participation in and Contribution to the Belt and Road Initiative signed in end-2017, the second joint conference was convened between the HKSAR Government and Mainland authorities to follow up on the implementation of measures set out in the arrangement. In November, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau and the Ministry of Commerce held the second high-level meeting of the Mainland and Hong Kong Belt and Road Task Group to coordinate related matters in trade and economic cooperation and to strengthen B&R collaboration.

Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises and Hong Kong's professional services are encouraged to form strategic partnerships to go global en bloc. During the year, the government co-organised with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) the fourth Belt and Road Summit, organised a series of Belt and Road: Hong Kong-IN sharing sessions in conjunction with the

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