On 21 November 2019, Hong Kong and the Mainland of China (the Mainland) signed the Amendment to the “Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA)” Agreement on Trade in Services, which will be implemented in June 2020, highlights are as follows:

1. 1. testing and certification services: eligible testing organisations in Hong Kong may, under the China Compulsory Certification System, co-operate with designated Mainland organisations to undertake product testing and factory inspections.  This will be applicable to all processed or manufactured related products and factories across the Mainland;
   2. construction and related engineering services: eligible professionals may register and practice across the Mainland, as well as directly register for practice in Qianhai of Shenzhen, Hengqin of Zhuhai and Nansha of Guangzhou and provide property valuation services;
   3. printing services: for Hong Kong companies in an equity joint venture enterprise in the Mainland engaging in printing of publications and other printed matters (except packaging materials), to raise the ceiling of shareholding proportion to 70%;
   4. legal services: for partnership associations set up by Hong Kong and Mainland law firms, to remove the restrictions on the minimum capital input ratio of the Hong Kong side; and
   5. tourism services: through increasing the number of inbound control points and expanding the area allowed to stay, to improve the “144-hour visa-exemption transit” policy for foreign group tours entering the Pearl River Delta Area and Shantou from Hong Kong.

For details, please see:
“Mainland and Hong Kong sign Agreement Concerning Amendment to the CEPA Agreement on Trade in Services”
https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201911/21/P2019112000703.htm?fontSize=1

“Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement”
https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/cepa/legaltext/cepa18.html