As a free port, the HKSAR maintains optimal import and export documentation requirements to facilitate legitimate trade. Most products do not need licences to enter or leave Hong Kong. Licences or notifications are only required if the HKSAR needs to fulfil its international obligations, protect public health, safety, environment, or intellectual property rights, or ensure Hong Kong's unrestricted access to high technologies and hi-tech products.

The HKSAR maintains a certification of origin system to facilitate its exports to overseas markets. The Trade and Industry Department administers this system and issues certificates of origin. In addition, the Government has designated five organisations to issue certificates of origin — the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Hong Kong Industries, the Indian Chamber of Commerce Hong Kong, the Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce.

Government Electronic Trading Services

To maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness as an international trading centre, the Government has launched the Government Electronic Trading Services since 1997 to provide a platform for the trading community to submit certain trade related documents electronically, thereby discharging their statutory obligations in a cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner.

Since 2000, Hong Kong had mandated the electronic submission of commonly used trade documents by stages, the latest one being in June 2006 when the electronic filing of manifests for water borne cargoes was made mandatory. The volume of electronic submissions has steadily increased from 16.1 million in 2000 to 21.5 million in 2006.