Nepal is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

According to Art. 15 of the Public Procurement Act, international bidding is used for public procurement only when goods cannot be procured at competitive prices, if no bid has been submitted in the national bid for procurement of goods and services, or if it is certified by a public entity that the goods to be procured are of a complex and special nature.

According to Section 17 of the Public Procurement Regulation, a public entity shall, in making procurement, select any method outlined in the Regulation, and provide a 15% price preference to Nepali goods.

According to Section 31(F), introduced in 2019 through an amendment of the Public Procurement Regulation, domestic bidders are given preference even when public procurement is done through international bidding. Domestic firms, organisations, or companies that participate solely or in joint ventures with domestic firms, organisations, or companies are preferred in international bidding, with a price-preference margin of up to 5%.

Section 70.2(A) of the Public Procurement Regulations stipulates that foreign participation in the procurement of consultancy services estimated to cost less than NPR 100 million (approx. USD 800,000) is not permitted. However, exceptions may apply if a foreign entity forms a joint venture with a domestic individual, firm, or consulting company. Moreover, pursuant to Art. 71(6), when assigning evaluation weightings for consultant selection, the procuring entity may allocate up to 10% of the total score to the “participation of domestic human resources.” It is also reported that international consultants seeking to provide consultancy services must appoint a local agent.

Nepal is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), nor does it have observer status.

According to Section 5.6.2 of the Telecommunication Policy Act, foreign ownership in the telecommunications sector is subject to a maximum equity limit of 80%.

Pursuant to Art. 3(2) of the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, an industry operating with foreign investment may not reinvest profits earned, or otherwise make foreign investment, in any industry listed in the Act’s Schedule. Under the Schedule relating to Art. 3(2), foreign investment in consultancy services is subject to a maximum foreign equity cap of 51%. The Schedule further provides that foreign investment is prohibited in certain service activities, including computer training services and accounting, business of mass communication media (including online news), engineering, and legal consultancy services.

Hong Kong is a free port, meaning no tariffs are charged on the import or export of goods. Therefore, there is no need to implement a de minimis threshold.

The Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) (TDO) and the Sale of Goods Ordinance (Cap. 26) (SGO) are general consumer protection laws that protect consumers against unfair trade practices. As generic consumer protection laws, TDO and SGO do not specifically address the distant nature of an online transaction. For the pre-purchase stage, TDO and SGO do not contain provisions requiring online retailers to provide information such as contact details, procedures for order cancellation, and goods refund/return policy. Neither do they set out a mandatory cooling-off period, which is the period of time following the conclusion of a contract during which a supplier allows its customers to unilaterally cancel the contract without having to provide a reason. As to the post-purchase stage, there are no standardised goods refund/return policies for online shopping.

Hong Kong has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Hong Kong has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Hong Kong has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

For a Non-Prescribed Product, which includes: plugs, adaptors, extension units, lamp holders, flexible cords, and unvented thermal storage type electric water heaters, the following are accepted as a certificate of safety compliance:
- A declaration of conformity issued by a 'recognised manufacturer';
- A certificate or test report issued by a 'recognised certification body' (RCB) under registration of EMSD in one of the following: CB test certificates issued by National Certification Bodies participating in the CB Scheme; Endorsed certificates or test reports issued by organisations accredited by the Hong Kong laboratory Accreditation Scheme (HOKLAS) or by the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS); Endorsed certificates or test reports issued by organisations that have been accredited by those bodies which have mutual recognition agreements with HOKLAS or HKAS.
For a Non-Prescribed Product (i.e., all other electrical products), in addition to the two types of documents stated above, a declaration of conformity (DOC) issued by the product manufacturer will also be accepted as a certificate of safety compliance. Non-prescribed products must comply with the Hong Kong Essential Requirements, which are presumed to be fulfilled if the product complies with relevant IEC standards. A Certificate of Conformity, as described below, or a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is required to show compliance.

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission released a circular in October 2019 that requires banks and other regulated groups to store data locally or ensure that their cloud provider will hand over information on request.