Questions and Answers January 2000 (hktdc.com)

International Market News

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Each month the Hong Kong Trade Development Council's SME Service Centre handles over 8,000 queries from traders. In each issue of International Market News, we publish a selection of these queries for your reference.

Manufacturing enterprises with fewer than 100 employees and non-manufacturing enterprises with fewer than 50 workers are regarded as small- and medium-sized enterprises in Hong Kong.

To safeguard your design overseas, you need to register it in each country or territory in which your design is used. When your design is registered in Hong Kong, you are accorded priority for a similar registration abroad within six months.

The Product Standards Library of the Hong Kong Industry Department's Products Standards Information Bureau has a collection of more than 80,000 volumes of international and national standards. The standards are laid down by leading bodies such as the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), British Standards Institution (BSI), Standards Australia (SAA), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) and Underwriters Laboratories (UL). The bureau sells photocopies of the data from the BSI, ISO and SAA.

No. ISO 9000 is a certification on a company quality management system. It is a certification on the company but not the product. On the other hand, a CE mark on a product shows only the product's qualification for performance and safety but not the manufactured company. However, ISO 9000 certification is recommended for the CE mark qualification process.

For Brazilian industrial or commercial firms with more than three employees, at least two-thirds of their workers must be Brazilians. However, this requirement does not apply to rural industries, agricultural areas or quarry and excava-tion operations. Income-wise, a foreign employee should not be paid more than a Brazilian counterpart. Should a retrenchment occur, the first person to be laid off must be a foreign worker.

Under the new Mandatory Pension Fund Policy, can an unemployed person get back his accumulated contribution?

No. A contributor can make a withdrawal from the pension fund when he/she reaches the retirement age of 65, retires at the age of 60, leaves Hong Kong for good; completes his work ability; passes away or applies for a minimum withdrawal of less than HK$5,000.

When has the Chinese mainland imposed curbs on goods in wooden crates from Japan and the US?

With effect from January 2000, shipments from Japan and the US must certify that they do not contain any packaging materials made from coniferous wood and that the coniferous wood containers have undergone anti-pest heat treatment. Shipments that arrive without any certification will be rejected or treated by the State Administration for Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Animal and Plant Department at the expense of the importer.

Do I have to comply with the lead content requirement when I ship paint to the US?

Yes. The US bans the import of paint that contains more than 0.06% lead. This ban also applies to furniture, toys and other children's articles with the same lead content in the paint. Under the Federal Hazardous Substance Act, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission can also take action against other lead-containing products with a high lead content higher than allowed by the law.

What is the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) recently announced by the Hong Kong Industry Department?

The ITF supports projects that contribute to innovation and technology upgrade and development of industry. It covers the Innovation and Technology Support Programme, the University-Industry Collaboration Programme, the General Support Programme and Small Entrepreneur Research Assistance Programme. For more details, browse the Industry Department's Web site - http://www.info.gov.hk/id/itf - or contact the department at 14/F, Ocean Centre, 5 Canton Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong (Tel: 2737-2229; Fax: 2957-8726).

The Invest in Britain Bureau provides one-stop and tailor-made services to investors. It offers advice on locations, financial incentives, manpower and particular industrial sectors in Britain. It also organises visits to various regions or sites of special interest. Interested parties can contact the bureau at the Department of Trade and Industry, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET, United Kingdom (Tel: 44-20-7215-2501; Fax: 44-20-7215-5651; Web site: http://www.dti.gov.uk/ibb).

Must I get a Central Registration number if I deal in import and export trade in Singapore?

Yes. You are required to register with the Singapore Trade Development Board (TDB) to obtain a Central Registration number. The number is for use in all import, export and transhipment permits, certificates and other documents issued by the TDB. For more information, surf the board's Web site: http://www.tdb.gov.sg

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