Hong Kong's Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPAs)

Hong Kong has been endeavouring to sign IPPAs (or Investment Agreements) with foreign economies in order to enhance two-way investment flows and boost our economy. An IPPA is an agreement between governments for the promotion and protection of investments made by investors of one contracting party in the area of the other contracting party.

Hong Kong's IPPAs give additional assurance to overseas investors that their investments in Hong Kong are protected, and enable Hong Kong investors to enjoy similar protection in respect of their investments overseas.

A typical IPPA provides for, among others, the following:

  • fair and equitable treatment of investments;
  • full protection and security of investments;
  • non-discriminatory treatment of investments;
  • non-discriminatory treatment in compensation for losses owing to, among others, war or other armed conflict;
  • compensation for expropriation of investments;
  • free transfer abroad of investments and returns;
  • exceptions to obligations to provide policy space to a contracting party including for reasons of essential security interests;
  • settlement of investment disputes between a contracting party and an investor of another contracting party; and
  • settlement of disputes between the contracting parties on interpretation or application of the IPPA.

Hitherto, Hong Kong has signed 24 IPPAs with foreign economies. Separately, an Investment Agreement under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) was signed in 2017 and has been implemented since 1 January 2018.

IPPAs in Force
IPPA Partners Dates of Entry Into Force IPPA Texts Related Links
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN)

ASEAN comprises -

  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cambodia
  • Indonesia
  • Laos
  • Malaysia
  • Myanmar
  • The Philippines
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Viet Nam

17.6.2019
(for Hong Kong, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines1, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam)

13.10.2019
(for Malaysia)

4.7.2020
(for Indonesia)

20.10.2020
(for Brunei Darussalam)

12.2.2021
(for Cambodia)

1
The part relating to the Philippines took effect from 12.5.2020 onwards.
17.1.2020 2
2
The previous IPPA signed in 1993 by Hong Kong and Australia was terminated on 17.1.2020.
Austria
1.10.1997
Bahrain
21.3.2025
Belgo-Luxembourg Economic Union
18.6.2001
6.9.2016
14.7.2019
Denmark
4.3.1994
Finland
16.3.2014
France
30.5.1997
Germany
19.2.1998
Italy
2.2.1998
18.6.1997
30.7.1997
Kuwait
14.9.2013
16.6.2021
Netherlands
1.9.1993
5.8.1995
Sweden
26.6.1994
Switzerland
22.10.1994
Thailand
12.4.2006
United Arab Emirates
6.3.2020
12.4.1999
IPPAs Signed (Pending Entry into Force)
IPPA Partners IPPA Texts Related Links
Türkiye
Other Information

Information on Investing in Hong Kong

With a mission to attract and retain foreign direct investment, Invest Hong Kong offers free advice and services to support companies from the planning stage right through to their launch and expansion of business.

Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund)

The BUD Fund provides funding support for individual non-listed Hong Kong enterprises to undertake projects to develop brands, upgrade and restructure their business operations and promote sales in the economies with which Hong Kong has signed IPPAs. For details, please refer to the dedicated webpage of the BUD Fund.

Enquiries and Comments

Enquiries, comments and suggestions on IPPAs, including the IPPAs under consultations / negotiations, are welcome. They can be sent to:

Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong
Tel.: 2398 53543
Fax: 2789 9761
E-mail: enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Office hours:
Monday to Friday
8:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
1:30 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
3
Telephone conversations shall be recorded to ensure service quality. The recorded conversations will be kept for 90 days. Members of the public may request for conversations relevant to them recorded in 90 days on a CD, at a charge of $57 per CD.
2025-03-21
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