Hong Kong's Commerce Secretary Promotes Economic Ties During Sydney Visit

SCED concludes visit to Australia

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, continued with the last day of his visit to Sydney, Australia, today (August 15).

In the morning, Mr Yau paid a courtesy call on the Consul-General of the People's Republic of China in Sydney, Mr Wang Yu, to update him on Hong Kong's latest developments and measures to drive sustained economic growth and consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's status as an international trade centre.

Mr Yau then visited an enterprise specialising in beauty and wellness products and exchanged views with its senior management on the vast potential of the Asian market. Mr Yau introduced Hong Kong's distinctive advantage of enjoying the strong support of the motherland while being closely connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle, and encouraged Australian enterprises to set up regional headquarters in Hong Kong to seize the opportunities of the Mainland, in particular the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Southeast Asian markets.

Mr Yau also had a lunch meeting with representatives of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the local business community to understand the needs and development directions of Australian enterprises and exchange views on fostering closer co-operation in the areas of business and trade between Hong Kong and Australia to achieve mutual benefits.

In the afternoon, Mr Yau met with a representative of the Australian Distillers Association to introduce Hong Kong's reduction in liquor duty to promote liquor trading and boost the development of high value-added industries including logistics and storage, tourism as well as high-end food and beverage consumption. He noted that the initiative has made reference to the successful experience in 2008 regarding the removal of import duty on wine, adding that he looks forward to seeing more premium liquor from Australia seizing the business opportunities. He also visited a distillery to understand more about the process of distilling and the development of Australian spirits.

In the evening, Mr Yau attended the Hong Kong Australia Business Association NSW Chapter Business Awards Gala Dinner. Speaking at the event, he shared with the Australian business community the distinctive advantages of Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" principle and the opportunities ahead for collaboration between Hong Kong and Australia. One of the examples is the recent enhancements to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement. Mr Yau said that provisions such as allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law and to choose for arbitration to be seated in Hong Kong empower foreign firms including Australian companies to leverage Hong Kong's legal and financial strengths when tapping into the Mainland market, especially within the GBA.

He added that Hong Kong ranked third globally in terms of foreign direct investment inflows, and with close to 10 000 overseas and Mainland companies as well as 4 700 start-ups present in Hong Kong, the city continues to thrive as a business hub.

Mr Yau said that regionally, Hong Kong is actively seeking to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), adding that Hong Kong will continue to communicate and collaborate with RCEP economies including Australia to advance this important goal.

　

Mr Yau will return to Hong Kong tomorrow (August 16).

SCED concludes visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCED concludes visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCED concludes visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCED concludes visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCED concludes visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCED concludes visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

SCED concludes visit to Australia Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Companies Registry releases statistics for 2025

According to the statistics released by the Companies Registry today (January 16), a total of 195,343 local companies and re-domiciled companies were newly registered in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of local companies and re-domiciled companies registered under the Companies Ordinance increased by 96,609 compared to 2024, reaching 1,557,103, which was an all-time high figure.

In 2025, 1,532 non-Hong Kong companies that had newly established a place of business in Hong Kong were registered under the Companies Ordinance. By the end of 2025, the total number of registered non-Hong Kong companies was 15,586, up 3 per cent compared to 2024.

The company re-domiciliation regime, implemented since May 23, 2025, has received a positive market response. By the end of 2025, the Registry had received over 420 enquiries and 30 applications. Among these, six non-Hong Kong corporations incorporated in Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands or Bermuda, including an insurance company, have been successfully re-domiciled to Hong Kong. The regime provides a simple and cost-effective pathway for non-Hong Kong incorporated companies to re-domicile to Hong Kong by eliminating the need for complicated and costly judicial procedures while preserving a company's legal identity. It ensures seamless business continuity and strengthens the competitiveness of Hong Kong as a global business and financial hub.

In 2025, the number of charges on properties of companies received for registration was 12,912, which was 6.4 per cent up from 12,137 in 2024. The number of notifications of payments and releases received for registration increased by 14.2 per cent, from 18,201 in 2024 to 20,789 in 2025.

In 2025, a total of 180 prospectuses were registered while the figure recorded in 2024 was 157.

In 2025, the total number of documents delivered for registration increased by 7 per cent to 3,360,723, compared to 3,139,906 in 2024.

In 2025, a total of 5,229,202 searches of document image records were conducted using the Registry's electronic search services, an increase of 0.7 per cent from 5,194,865 in 2024.

On the registration of limited partnership funds (LPFs), a total of 389 LPFs were newly registered in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of LPFs increased by 35.1 per cent compared to the end of 2024, to 1,347.

For open-ended fund companies (OFCs), 210 OFCs were newly incorporated in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of OFCs increased by 43.2 per cent compared to the end of 2024, to 676.

As regards the licensing of trust or company service providers under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance, a total of 760 new licences were granted by the Registry in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of licensees was 7,220.

Turning to the licensing of money lenders, 155 new licences were granted by the Licensing Court in 2025. By the end of 2025, the total number of licensed money lenders was 2,015.

For details of the statistics, please visit the "Statistics" section of the Registry's website (www.cr.gov.hk).

Source: AI-found images