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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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Hong Kong, China's Participation in the WTO

Hong Kong became a separate contracting party to the GATT in 1986, and is a founding member of its successor, the WTO.

Hong Kong is a member of the WTO in its own right. After the return of Hong Kong to the Mainland of China, the HKSAR continues to participate in the WTO as a full and separate member, using the name "Hong Kong, China".  The Mainland of China became a member of the WTO on 11 December 2001. Hong Kong, China continues to participate in the WTO as a separate customs territory which enjoys a high degree of autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial relations.

As a small and externally oriented economy, a strong and credible multilateral trading system is of great importance to Hong Kong. Hong Kong, China takes its rights and obligations in the WTO seriously and has all along been participating actively and constructively in the WTO. In addition to the hosting of the MC6 in December 2005, representatives from Hong Kong, China have taken up appointments as chairman or vice chairman of councils/committees/panels under the WTO in their personal capacities:

  • Permanent Representative of the Hong Kong SAR to the WTO, Ms. Irene Young, is the Chairman of the Trade Policy Review Body in 2016/17.  Ms. Young was the Chairman of the Committee on Trade and Environment in 2015/16.
  • Assistant Representative of the Hong Kong SAR to the WTO, Ms. Joanna Cheung, was the Chairman of the Committee on Customs Valuation in 2014/15.
  • Former Permanent Representative, Mr. Michael Stone, was the Chairman of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration in 2013/14.
  • Former Deputy Representative of the Hong Kong SAR to the WTO, Mr. Sam Hui, was the Chairman of the Committee on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures in 2012/13.
  • Former Permanent Representative, Mr. Martin Glass, was the Chairman of the Working Group on Trade, Debt and Finance in 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2011/12. Mr. Glass was the Chairman of the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in 2010/11.
  • Former Permanent Representative, Mr. Tony Miller, was the Chairman of the Negotiating Group on Trade Facilitation in 2006/07 and the Chairman of the Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights in 2004/05.
  • Former Permanent Representative, Mr. Joshua Law, was the Chairman of the Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration in 2003/04.  Former Deputy Representative, Mr. Ivan Lee, was the Chairman of the Committee on Customs Valuation in 2003/04.
  • Former Permanent Representative, Mr. Stuart Harbinson, was the Chairman of the WTO General Council, the highest decision-making body of the WTO after the Ministerial Conference in 2001/02.

Hong Kong, China is a free and open economy which sets good examples to other WTO members in the implementation of various WTO obligations. As soon as the WTO was established, Hong Kong, China implemented its Uruguay Round tariff commitments fully. We have implemented many of our Uruguay Round commitments well ahead of the agreed timetable.  We are also the first WTO Member to join the TFA on 8 December 2014.