Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA)
Past Progress
Year 2019
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and Mainland signed an agreement under the framework of Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) to amend the CEPA Agreement on Trade in Services (the Services Agreement) on 21 November 2019 to further enhance the level of the Services Agreement, to deepen the liberalisation of trade in services between the Mainland and HKSAR, as well as to strengthen the bilateral economic and trade exchanges and cooperation. The amendment to the Services Agreement was implemented on 1 June 2020. The Agreement on Trade in Services covered and consolidated commitments relating to liberalisation of trade in services provided in CEPA and all its Supplements and also the Agreement between the Mainland and Hong Kong on Achieving Basic Liberalisation of Trade in Services in Guangdong (the Guangdong Agreement).
Details of the amendment to the Services Agreement can be found in the relevant web page of Trade and Industry Department:
(https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/legaltext/cepa18.html)
Year 2018
Hong Kong and Mainland signed the Agreement on Trade in Goods, consolidating and updating the commitments on liberalisation and facilitation of trade in goods under the framework of CEPA on 14 December 2018 to further enhance the level of economic and trade exchanges and cooperation between the Mainland and Hong Kong. The Agreement on Trade in Goods came into effect on the day of signing, and was implemented on 1 January 2019.
Details of the Agreement on Trade in Goods can be found in the relevant web page of Trade and Industry Department：
(https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/legaltext/cepa17.html)
Year 2017
Hong Kong and Mainland signed the Investment Agreement under CEPA on 28 June 2017, in order to progressively reduce or eliminate substantially all discriminatory measures on investments between the two sides, to protect the rights of investors and to promote achieving progressive liberalisation and facilitation of investments of the two sides. The Investment Agreement was implemented from 1 January 2018.
Details of the Investment Agreement can be found in the relevant web page of Trade and Industry Department:
(https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/legaltext/cepa14.html)
Hong Kong and Mainland signed the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation (the Ecotech Agreement) under the framework of CEPA on 28 June 2017, in order to fully enhance the level of economic and technical exchanges and cooperation between the two sides. The Ecotech Agreement was implemented from 28 June 2017.
Details of the Ecotech Agreement can be found in the relevant web page of Trade and Industry Department :
(https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/legaltext/cepa15.html)
Year 2015
Hong Kong and Mainland signed the Agreement on Trade in Services (the Services Agreement) under the framework of CEPA in November 2015. The Services Agreement extends the geographical coverage from Guangdong to the whole Mainland for basic liberalisation of trade in services. The Services Agreement was implemented from 1 June 2016.
Background
Mainland and Hong Kong signed the CEPA in 2003 to open up huge markets for Hong Kong goods and services, greatly enhancing the already close economic cooperation and integration between the Mainland and Hong Kong. Thereafter, the two sides broadened and enriched the content of CEPA and signed ten Supplements between 2004 and 2013, expanding market liberalisation and further facilitating trade and investment. In December 2014, the Agreement between the Mainland and Hong Kong on Achieving Basic Liberalisation of Trade in Services in Guangdong (the Guangdong Agreement) was signed under the framework of CEPA, enabling early realisation of basic liberalisation of trade in services with Hong Kong in Guangdong.
Details of the CEPA, its Supplements and Liberalisation measures under the Guangdong Agreement can be found in the relevant web page of Trade and Industry Department:
(https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/legaltext/cepa_legaltext.html)
