Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions that directly or indirectly contribute to the smooth, unhindered distribution and transfer of goods and services on a substantial scale and at the right time, place, quantity, quality and price through various channels from the original producers to the final consumers within local, regional, national or international economies. The diversity in the distribution of natural resources , differences of human needs and wants , and division of labour along with comparative advantage are the principal factors that give rise to commercial exchanges.
31-772: The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices ( HKETOs ) are the trade offices of Hong Kong outside the territory. There are 14 HKETOs outside Hong Kong and China, and seven in China (four offices and three liaison units). In addition to HKETOs, the Hong Kong Government has an office in Beijing, the capital of China, called the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing . Prior to
62-508: A country and the rest of the world is called foreign or international trade , which consists of import trade and export trade, both being wholesale in general. Commerce not only includes trade as defined above, but also the auxiliary services or aids to trade and means that facilitate such trade. Auxiliary services aid trade by providing services which such as transportation , communication , warehousing , insurance , banking , credit financing to companies, advertising , packaging , and
93-699: A country. International commerce can be regulated by bilateral treaties between countries. After the second world war and the rise of free trade among nations, multilateral arrangements such as the GATT and later the World Trade Organization became the principal systems regulating global commerce. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is another important organization which sets rules and resolves disputes in international commerce. Where national government bodies undertake commercial activity with or inside other states, this commercial activity may fall outside
124-498: A general sense, business is the activity of earning money and making one's living through engaging in commerce. However, in a more specific sense, a business is an organization or activity for making a profit by providing goods and services which meet the needs of its customers or consumers. Business organizations typically operate in the primary (dealing with the extraction and sourcing of raw materials) and secondary (dealing with manufacturing intermediate or finished goods) sectors of
155-858: A number of personal immunity and tax privileges on the HKETO in London. Similar arrangements were negotiated with other host countries of HKETOs. For instance, the HKETO in Toronto is accredited by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada under the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Privileges and Immunities Order, and HKETO in Sydney by the Overseas Missions (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1995. Hong Kong Free Press revealed that HKTDC paid around HKD $ 84,000,000 from 2014 to 2020 to US lobbying firms, on behalf of
186-701: A trade representative or commercial representative. Due to the limited recognition of the Republic of China ( Taiwan ) as a result of the People's Republic of China 's One-China policy , many countries do not have formal diplomatic relations with the Taiwanese government. Taiwan's interests in these countries and these countries' interests in Taiwan are usually represented by one or more trade missions which function as de facto embassies or consulates . This trade -related article
217-681: A wider variety of goods and services, and encourages innovation and competition for better products . On the other hand, commerce can worsen economic inequality by concentrating wealth (and power ) into the hands of a small number of individuals , and by prioritizing short-term profit over long-term sustainability and ethical , social , and environmental considerations, leading to environmental degradation , labor exploitation and disregard for consumer safety . Unregulated, it can lead to excessive consumption (generating undesirable waste ) and unsustainable exploitation of nature (causing resource depletion ). Harnessing commerce's benefits for
248-429: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Commerce Commerce consists of trade and aids to trade (i.e. auxiliary commercial services) taking place along the entire supply chain . Trade is the exchange of goods (including raw materials , intermediate and finished goods ) and services between buyers and sellers in return for an agreed-upon price at traditional (or online ) marketplaces . It
279-481: Is a part of commerce and commerce is an aspect of business. Historian Peter Watson and Ramesh Manickam date the history of long-distance commerce from circa 150,000 years ago. In historic times, the introduction of currency as a standardized money facilitated the exchange of goods and services. Commerce was a costly endeavor in the antiquities because of the risky nature of transportation, which restricted it to local markets. Commerce then expanded along with
310-460: Is categorized into domestic trade , including retail and wholesale as well as local, regional, inter-regional and international/foreign trade (encompassing import , export and entrepôt/re-export trades). The exchange of currencies (in foreign exchange markets ), commodities (in commodity markets /exchanges) and securities and derivatives (in stock exchanges and financial markets ) in specialized exchange markets also falls under
341-437: Is not concerned with the extraction of raw materials and the manufacturing of goods. Viewed in this way, commerce is a broader concept and an overall, all-encompassing aspect of business. Commerce provides the underlying large-scale transactional environment comprising all kinds of exchanges within which individual business organizations operate for generating profits. Commerce is distinguishable from trade as well. Trade
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#1732872220689372-412: Is the transaction (buying and selling) of goods and services that makes a profit for the seller and satisfies the want or need of the buyer. When trade is carried out within a country, it is called home or domestic trade , which can be wholesale or retail . A wholesaler buys from the producer in bulk and sells to the retailer who then sells again to the final consumer in smaller quantities. Trade between
403-527: The European Union ) or coalitions (like BRICS ) leading to its reconfiguration. The English-language word commerce has been derived from the Latin word commercium , from com ("together") and merx ("merchandise"). Despite many similarities (to the extent that they are sometimes used as synonyms in layman's terms and in other contexts), commerce, business and trade are distinct concepts. In
434-533: The European Union , and HKETO Geneva to the World Trade Organization . In countries or territories where no HKETO is present, diplomatic missions of China have the duty to represent Hong Kong's interests. Visa applications at these missions are, nevertheless, sent to and processed by the Immigration Department of Hong Kong. Overseas HKETOs are placed under the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of
465-469: The Industrial Revolution fundamentally reshaped commerce. In the post-colonial 20th century, free market principles gained ground, multinational corporations and consumer economies thrived in U.S.-led capitalist countries and free trade agreements (like GATT and WTO ) emerged, whereas communist economies encountered trade restrictions , limiting consumer choice . Furthermore, in
496-499: The transfer of sovereignty in 1997, Hong Kong's commercial interests in its major trade markets were represented by Hong Kong Government Offices – consular matters were handled by the relevant British embassy or high commission . By 1982, the Hong Kong Government Offices, with locations in London, Brussels, Washington and Geneva, were placed under the then Councils and Administration Branch ( Chinese : 兩局及行政科 ) of
527-426: The 15th to the early 20th century, European colonial powers dominated global commerce on an unprecedented scale, giving rise to maritime trade empires with their powerful colonial trade companies (e.g., Dutch East India Company and British East India Company ) and ushering in an unprecedented global exchange (see Columbian exchange ). In the 19th century, modern banking and related international markets along with
558-526: The HKETOs mainly include the inviolability of premises, official correspondence, archives and documents as well as the exemption of premises and representatives from taxation. HKETO Berlin (Germany) is the only regional representative office that has a quasi-diplomatic status. Washington The HKETOs outside of mainland China, particularly those in Europe and Asia, have responsibilities for several countries. Those in
589-591: The Hong Kong Government. HKETO Brussels is the second among all HKETOs, marking its 50th anniversary in 2015. In preparation for the handover, the British and Chinese governments agreed that these offices should be renamed "Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices", to make clear that they did not have diplomatic or consular functions. In the United Kingdom, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 1996 conferred
620-509: The Hong Kong Government. Offices of the Government of the Hong Kong in Beijing and other parts of mainland China are placed under the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau . The head of the HKETOs are usually called Director. The privileges and immunities granted to the HKETOs are the result of negotiations with the host governments and these vary from one office to another. In some cases,
651-594: The Hong Kong government, in an attempt to convince US politicians to object to the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act . The lobbyist contracts were signed by the HKTDC, and the HKETO in Washington D.C. gave instructions to the lobbyists. Hong Kong has full autonomy in the conduct of its external commercial relations. The Basic Law of the Hong Kong provides that it shall be a separate customs territory and may, using
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#1732872220689682-411: The economy and their goal is to sell raw materials or manufactured goods for profit. In the tertiary sector , businesses sell services for profit. Commerce, in contrast to the concept of business discussed above, deals with the movement and distribution of raw materials as well as finished or intermediate (but valuable) goods and services from the manufacturers to the end customers on a large scale. It
713-429: The host governments (such as the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany) have granted certain privileges and immunities to the HKETOs through dedicated domestic legislation. At present, all eleven overseas HKETOs have been granted certain privileges and immunities by respective host governments to facilitate the HKETOs to discharge their duties without intervention. Broadly speaking, the privileges and immunities enjoyed by
744-534: The improvement of transportation systems over time. In the Middle Ages, long-distance and large-scale commerce was still limited within continents. Banking systems developed in medieval Europe, facilitating financial transactions across national boundaries. Markets became a feature of town life, and were regulated by town authorities. With the advent of the age of exploration and oceangoing ships, commerce took an international, trans-continental stature. Currently
775-401: The mainland similarly have responsibilities across several provinces. Trade office A trade office , sometimes known as a trade representation , commercial office , or trade mission , is an official establishment that promotes the commercial interests of a government (such as a city, state, or country) in a foreign capital . The head of such an establishment is typically called
806-512: The mid-20th century, the adoption of standardized shipping containers facilitated seamless and efficient intermodal freight transport , leading to a surge in international trade. By the century's end, developing countries saw their share in world trade rise from a quarter to a third. 21st century commerce is increasingly technology-driven (see e-commerce ), globalized , intricately regulated , ethically responsible and sustainability -focused, with multilateral economic integrations (like
837-504: The name 'Hong Kong, China', participate in relevant international organisations and international trade agreements, such as the World Trade Organization . The HKETOs concentrate most of their work on promoting Hong Kong's economic and trade interests. The major function of HKETOs include: HKETO London serves concurrently as Hong Kong's permanent mission to the International Maritime Organization , HKETO Brussels to
868-676: The reliability of international trans-oceanic shipping and mailing systems and the facility of the Internet has made commerce possible between cities, regions and countries situated anywhere in the world. In the 21st century, Internet-based electronic commerce (where financial information is transferred over Internet), and its subcategories such as wireless mobile commerce and social network -based social commerce have been and continue to get adopted widely. Legislative bodies and ministries or ministerial departments of commerce regulate, promote and manage domestic and foreign commercial activities within
899-468: The services of commercial agents and agencies. In other words, commerce encompasses a wide array of political, economical, technological, logistical, legal, regulatory, social and cultural aspects of trade on a large scale. From a marketing perspective, commerce creates time and place utility by making goods and services available to the customers at the right place and at the right time by changing their location or placement. Described in this manner, trade
930-561: The society while mitigating its drawbacks remains vital for policymakers , businesses and other stakeholders . Commerce traces its origins to ancient localized barter systems, leading to the establishment of periodic marketplaces, and culminating in the development of currencies for efficient trade. In medieval times, trade routes (like the Silk Road ) with pivotal commercial hubs (like Venice ) connected regions and continents, enabling long-distance trade and cultural exchange . From
961-1414: The umbrella of trade. On the other hand, auxiliary commercial activities (aids to trade) which can facilitate trade include commercial intermediaries , banking , credit financing and related services, transportation , packaging , warehousing , communication , advertising and insurance . Their purpose is to remove hindrances related to direct personal contact, payments , savings , funding , separation of place and time, product protection and preservation, knowledge and risk . The broader framework of commerce incorporates additional elements and factors such as laws and regulations (including intellectual property rights and antitrust laws ), policies , tariffs and trade barriers , consumers and consumer trends , producers and production strategies, supply chains and their management , financial transactions for ordinary and extraordinary business activities, market dynamics (including supply and demand ), technological innovation , competition and entrepreneurship , trade agreements , multinational corporations and small and medium-sized enterprisess (SMEs), and macroeconomic factors (like economic stability ). Commerce drives economic growth , development and prosperity , promotes regional and international interdependence , fosters cultural exchange , creates jobs , improves people's standard of living by giving them access to