---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 5713"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "5713"
heading: "Commerce between United States and Hong Kong"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/5713"
units:
  - "Chapter 66 — United States-Hong Kong Policy"
  - "Subchapter I — Policy"
---

# §5713. Commerce between United States and Hong Kong


It is the sense of the Congress that the following, which are based in part on the relevant provisions of the [Joint Declaration](/usc/22/5702.md?p=2), are and should continue after June 30, 1997, to be the policy of the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) with respect to commerce between the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) and [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1):

- (1) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should seek to maintain and expand economic and trade relations with [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) and should continue to treat [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) as a separate territory in economic and trade matters, such as import quotas and certificates of origin.
- (2) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should continue to negotiate directly with [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) to conclude bilateral economic [agreements](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7).
- (3) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should continue to treat [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) as a territory which is fully autonomous from the United Kingdom and, after June 30, 1997, should treat [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) as a territory which is fully autonomous from the People’s Republic of China with respect to economic and trade matters.
- (4) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should continue to grant the products of [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) nondiscriminatory trade treatment by virtue of [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1)’s membership in the General [Agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7) on Tariffs and Trade.
- (5) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should recognize certificates of origin for manufactured goods issued by the [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) Special Administrative Region.
- (6) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should continue to allow the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) dollar to be freely exchanged with the [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) dollar.
- (7) [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) businesses should be encouraged to continue to operate in [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1), in accordance with applicable [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) and [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) law.
- (8) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should continue to support access by [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) to sensitive technologies controlled under the [agreement](/usc/22/2431a.md?p=7) of the Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (commonly referred to as “COCOM”) for so long as the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) is satisfied that such technologies are protected from improper use or export.
- (9) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should encourage [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) to continue its efforts to develop a framework which provides adequate protection for intellectual property rights.
- (10) The [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) should negotiate a bilateral investment treaty directly with [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1), in consultation with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
- (11) The change in the exercise of sovereignty over [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) should not affect ownership in any property, tangible or intangible, held in the [United States](/usc/22/1395.md?p=a-1) by any [Hong Kong](/usc/22/5702.md?p=1) person.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 102–383, title I, § 103, Oct. 5, 1992, 106 Stat. 1450; Pub. L. 105–206, title V, § 5003(b)(7), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 790.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1998—Par. (4). Pub. L. 105–206 struck out “(commonly referred to as ‘most-favored-nation status’)” after “nondiscriminatory trade treatment”.