To grasp the development opportunities brought about by the GBA, the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are dedicated to developing GBA Standards of various products and services for relevant trades to adopt on a voluntary basis, with a view to improving product and service quality, promoting the interconnectivity and integrated development of the three places.
The first batch of 110 GBA Standards was promulgated on 24 April 2023. So far, a total of 284 GBA Standards have been developed and promulgated, covering items in a number of fields, including food quality and safety, Cantonese cuisine, engineering, transportation, mechanical and electrical products, as well as medical care, nursing care, education, low-altitude economy, e-commerce and e-sports, and "environmental, social and governance", etc.
The trades are encouraged to actively participate in the development and adoption of GBA Standards having regard to market situation and needs, with a view to enhancing their business development in the GBA.
Under the cooperation mechanism of the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the Standardization Research Center for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA Standardization Research Center) is responsible for the research, organisation of vetting, publication and maintenance of GBA Standards and other supporting work. Information about GBA Standards is available on the GBA Standard Information Public Service Platform managed by the GBA Standardization Research Center. The Trade and Industry Department also promulgates information about GBA Standards to the trades through issuing Commercial Information Circulars.
There are two means of developing GBA Standards, i.e. “formulation of new standards” and “confirmation of existing standards”. For the application requirements and documents as well as vetting arrangements, please refer to the “Guidelines on Confirmation of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Standards (Trial)” (Guidelines) (in Chinese only). For “formulation of new standards”, trade associations, enterprises or organisations of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are welcome to jointly draw up GBA Standards in accordance with the specific requirements set out in the Guidelines. As for “confirmation of existing standards”, trade associations, enterprises or organisations may submit applications for the inclusion of standards which are currently effective with significant results achieved, and suitable to be promoted in the GBA as GBA Standards. The GBA Standardization Research Center accepts applications for developing GBA Standards all year round.
The GBA Standardization Research Center promulgated on 31 March 2026 the "Guidelines on the Common Needs of GBA Standards in 2026" (in Chinese only), which set out the priority sectors for developing GBA Standards. Applications by the trades for developing GBA Standards in the priority sectors or other sectors are welcome.
The “Care Food GBA Standard” (i.e. “General Requirements of Easy-to-eat Food for Older Adults (Care Food for Older Adults)”), spearheaded by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) and the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association of Hong Kong (CMA), was included in the list of GBA Standards in September 2025. This Standard provides clearer guidelines for the industry and is conducive to the introduction of more food products suitable for the elderly and enhancement of the elderly’s quality of life, as well as the development of the food manufacturing industry in the GBA. On this basis, CMA has launched the “Care Food Product Certification Mark” Scheme, with a view to assisting consumers in making clearer choices. For details, please refer to the Care Food webpage (in Chinese only).
The “Colour Tone Value (CTV) GBA Standard” (i.e. “Requirements for Calculation and Application of CTV in Print Workflow”), spearheaded by the Hong Kong Printers Association and the Advanced Printing Technology Centre, was included in the list of GBA Standards in May 2025. The “CTV GBA Standard”, which involves the application of a printing calibration and colour control method named CTV, facilitates the enhancement of printing quality through achieving consistent colours in the design and print production processes, and the development of the printing industry in the GBA. For details, please refer to the CTV webpage.
The “General Specification for Assessment of Engineering Competence in the GBA”, spearheaded by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), was included in the list of GBA Standards in January 2026. This standard specifies the classification of engineering members and relevant competency requirements for conducting engineering competency assessments, which is conducive to the enhancement of the overall quality and international recognition of engineers in the GBA.
The GBA Standardization Research Center promulgated on 21 May 2025 “Selected Examples of Application of GBA Standards” (in Chinese only), which introduces examples of application of GBA Standards and relevant deliverables. On the same day, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) held a press conference in Guangzhou to introduce the work on GBA Standards. For details, please refer to SAMR webpage (in Chinese only).