The Industry Department promotes and facilitates overseas investment in the industries of Hong Kong. It maintains a One Stop Unit in Hong Kong which works closely with seven overseas Investment Promotion Units in North America, Europe, Japan and Australia. Together, they provide advice and assistance to potential overseas investors in developing and implementing their investment plans in Hong Kong.

        Industry Department and Census & Statistics Department surveys show that Hong Kong had 364 foreign-owned manufacturing companies and 7 440 foreign-owned non-manufacturing companies at the end of 1997. The total stock of inward direct investment amounted to $732.4 billion at historical cost. Charts 3 and 4 show the industries and source countries of the external investment. These foreign-owned companies together employed 404 708 people (i.e. 18 per cent of Hong Kong's total employment). Foreign-owned manufacturing companies accounted for 35 per cent of Hong Kong's total domestic exports.