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The Trade and Industry Department (TID) announces today (March 19) that the deadline for the business sector to propose additional products for the next phase of tariff elimination under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) will be extended by one month to 30 April 2004.

"The purpose of the extension is to give more time for manufacturers and potential investors to prepare and submit their applications," said a TID spokesman.

Under CEPA, 374 Hong Kong origin goods can be exported to the Mainland tariff-free starting from 1 January 2004. The Mainland will apply zero tariff to other products no later than 1 January 2006 upon application by local manufacturers and upon CEPA origin rules being agreed and met.

"So far, we have received 90 applications and the product types include food and beverage, textiles and clothing, metal, plastic, machinery and electronic products, optical products etc.," added the spokesman. "Our next step is to enter into discussions with the Mainland side on the timetable for implementing the second phase of zero tariff and to agree on the origin rules for the additional products."

The public may browse or download the relevant trade circulars and the detailed application procedures from the CEPA webpage in the TID's web portal (http://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/trade_goods.html). For enquiries, please contact Mainland Branch (I) of TID:

Tel : 2398 5676

Fax : 2398 9973

Email : ma_registry@tid.gov.hk

Ends/Friday, March 19, 2004

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