Hong Kong, Peru sign joint trade statement
May 31, 2008
HK, Peru sign joint trade statement
Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Frederick Ma has signed a joint statement with Peru’s Minister of Foreign Trade & Tourism Mercedes Araoz Fernandez to enhance bilateral trade and economic relations.
The signing ceremony on May 30 took place at the margins of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation’s Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting in Arequipa, Peru.
Mr Ma said the two sides will work towards the development of a co-operation arrangement on trade and investment facilitation. This will lay the foundation for future consideration of a free-trade agreement between Hong Kong and Peru.
The arrangement will cover the co-operation initiatives, and encouragement of dialogue and information exchange, in the following areas:
– facilitation and promotion of trade in goods, including organisation of trade fairs and exhibitions, discussion of regulations and standards like sanitary and phytosanitary measures;
– facilitation and promotion of trade in services in sectors of mutual interest such as financial services, rail and maritime transportation, logistics and related services, tourism;
– facilitation and promotion of investment;
– co-operation on protection of intellectual property rights; and
– Customs co-operation.
Other areas may also be covered under the arrangement, subject to the two governments’ agreement.
