European Commission Directorate-General for Trade

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

The EU and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) enjoy a positive and stable trade relationship, with a trade volume of €29.1 billion (2009) and a EU positive trade balance in goods of +€10.1 billion. The EU is Hong Kong's second major trade partner after China. In 2009 Hong Kong ranked as the EU's 6th largest trading partner in Asia and its 17th global trading partner.

In commercial services EU-HK trade is equally showing a stable development over the last couple of years, with a value of €7.5 billion in exports and €6.5 billion in imports from Hong Kong in 2009.

The EU and Hong Kong SAR enjoy a positive and stable trade relationship

Trade in goods

• EU good exports to Hong Kong 2009: €19.6 billion
• EU goods imports from Hong Kong 2009: €9.5 billion

The EU imports mainly machinery and transport equipment and telecommunication equipment and in terms of size of EU exports, machinery and transport equipment, telecommunication equipment, chemicals and other semi-finished products are by far the most traded commodities.

Trade in services

• Total of EU exports and imports 2009: €14.0 billion, with a small export surplus of €1.0 billion

Main areas are air transport and transportation, business and financial services.

Foreign Direct Investment

As data (available up to 2009) indicate, over the past years the EU has been a major source of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Hong Kong but FDI went down by €2.8 billion to €3.4 billion in 2009 compared to 2008, but the decrease in Hong Kong investments in the EU was even more pronounced (from a surplus of €2.0 billion to minus €0.2 billion in 2009).

More statistics on Hong Kong

Bilateral trade and economic relations between the EU and Hong Kong are mature and characterized by a very limited incidence of trade irritants. Bilateral trade relations are regularly discussed in 'Structured Dialogue' meetings, which were established in 2007 and are held annually between the European Commission and Hong Kong’s government authorities. In the past a major EC trade concern was the trans-shipment of counterfeited goods.

The discussion of trade issues at the 3rd Structured Dialogue meeting in December 2009 focused in particular on mutual updates on developments and on exchanging information, where the Hong Kong authorities showed interest in EC Regulations, Testing and Certification procedures, Food and Consumer safety; the EC's focus of interest lies in updates and exchanges on the process concerning Hong Kong's Competition Legislation, its Financial Services Regulation and on Hong Kong's Closer Economic Partnership Agreement with China (CEPA) and the impact of the implementation of CEPA's successive amendments (at current its 6th amendment). The Hong Kong authorities entertain frequent and regular contacts with business associations, both foreign and local, and are also responsive to their concerns.

Hong Kong in the World Trade Organization

Hong Kong has been a WTO member since 01 January 1995 and was one of the original WTO Members in 1995.