# Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development heads the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau of the Hong Kong Government. The Secretary is responsible for promoting commerce and the economic development of Hong Kong. The position was created in 2007 by merging the previous portfolios of the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology and the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour.
The predecessor, Secretary for Trade and Industry (Chinese: 工商局局長), was the head of the Trade and Industry Branch, and later the Trade and Industry Bureau, responsible for securing Hong Kong's access to the world market, helping Hong Kong manufacturers remain competitive in international markets, enhancing the protection of intellectual property rights, and promoting Hong Kong customers' interests. It was renamed and re-organised as the Secretary for Commerce and Industry in 2000, and replaced by the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (Chinese: 工商及科技局局長) in 2002, with new responsibilities of technology sectors after merging with Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting.

## List of office holders
### Secretaries for Trade and Industry, 1982–1997

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Governor |
| 1 | William Dorward 杜華 | August 1982 | February 1983 | Sir Edward Youde (1982–1986) |
| 2 | Eric Peter Ho 何鴻鑾 | February 1983 | 1987 | Sir Edward Youde (1982–1986) |
| 2 | Eric Peter Ho 何鴻鑾 | February 1983 | 1987 | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 3 | Hamish Macleod 麥高樂 | 1987 | 1989 | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 4 | John Chan 陳祖澤 | 1989 | 1991 | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 5 | Brian Chau 周德熙 | 20 May 1991 | November 1995 | Sir David Wilson (1987–1992) |
| 5 | Brian Chau 周德熙 | 20 May 1991 | November 1995 | Chris Patten (1992–1997) |
| 6 | Denise Yue 俞宗怡 | November 1995 | 30 June 1997 | Chris Patten (1992–1997) |

### Secretaries for Trade and Industry, 1997–2000

| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Chief Executive | Term | Ref |
| 1 | | Denise Yue Chung-yee 俞宗怡 | 1 July 1997 | 30 March 1998 | 272 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 1 | |
| 2 | | Brian Chau Tak-hay 周德熙 | 31 March 1998 | 30 June 2000 | 2 years, 121 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 1 | |

### Secretaries for Commerce and Industry, 2000–2002

| No. | Portrait | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Chief Executive | Term | Ref |
| 1 | | Brian Chau Tak-hay 周德熙 | 1 July 2000 | 30 June 2002 | 1 year, 364 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 1 | |

### Secretaries for Commerce, Industry and Technology, 2002–2007

| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Chief Executive | Term |
| 1 | Henry Tang Ying-yen 唐英年 | 1 July 2002 | 3 August 2003 | 1 year, 364 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 2 |
| | John Tsang Chun-wah 曾俊華 | 4 August 2003 | 24 January 2006 | 2 years, 173 days | Tung Chee-hwa (1997–2005) | 2 |
| | John Tsang Chun-wah 曾俊華 | 4 August 2003 | 24 January 2006 | 2 years, 173 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 2 |
| | Joseph Wong Wing-ping 王永平 | 24 January 2006 | 30 June 2007 | 1 year, 157 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 2 |

### Secretaries for Commerce and Economic Development, 2007–present

Political party: Nonpartisan Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB)
| No. | Name | Term of office | Term of office | Duration | Chief Executive | Term |
| 1 | Frederick Ma Si-hang 馬時亨 | 1 July 2007 | 11 July 2008 | 1 year, 10 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 3 |
| 2 | Rita Lau Ng Wai-lan 劉吳惠蘭 | 12 July 2008 | 13 April 2011 | 2 years, 275 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 3 |
| 3 | Gregory So Kam-leung 蘇錦樑 | 28 June 2011 | 30 June 2017 | 6 years, 2 days | Donald Tsang (2005–2012) | 3 |
| 3 | Gregory So Kam-leung 蘇錦樑 | 28 June 2011 | 30 June 2017 | 6 years, 2 days | Leung Chun-ying (2012–2017) | 4 |
| 4 | Edward Yau Tang-wah 邱騰華 | 1 July 2017 | 30 June 2022 | 5 years, 0 days | Carrie Lam (2017–2022) | 5 |
| 5 | Algernon Yau Ying-wah 丘應樺 | 1 July 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 176 days | John Lee (2022–present) | 6 |