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The Trade and Industry Department (TID) announced today (June 6) that the Chinese language requirement for applying CO(CEPA) will be implemented with effect from June 24, 2004.

"The Chinese language requirement has been stipulated in Annex 3 of the CEPA, which should be implemented no later than July 1, 2004," said a TID spokesman.

Beginning June 24, all CO(CEPA) applications must comprise, in addition to an Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) message, a Web Portal submission of Chinese supplementary information. Such supplementary information will include data such as the exporter's name and address, consignee's name and address, and description of goods. Exporters should submit the supplementary information via TID's Web Portal.

"To pave way for the smooth transition to the new procedural arrangement, a trial run of the Chinese input platform will be carried out," said the spokesman. "Exporters are encouraged to try out the input platform in TID's Web Portal from June 10."

For details of the above arrangement, please refer to the Certificate of Origin Circular cum Commercial Information Circular to be issued by TID on June 7, which can be downloaded from the CEPA webpage in TID's Web Portal (http://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/trade_goods.html). An updated "Note for Traders Lodging CO(CEPA) Applications" is also available in the Web Portal.

For enquiries, please contact the Certification Branch of the TID:

Tel: 3403 6432 /2398 5525

Fax: 2787 6048

E-mail: cepaco@tid.gov.hk

Ends/Sunday, June 6, 2004

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