Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), Zangger Committee established under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT)

Under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT), non-nuclear weapon member states have undertaken not to acquire nuclear weapons and to accept monitoring of their civil nuclear programmes by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). At present, 188 countries are signatories of the NNPT. In order to comply with the provisions of the NNPT, a number of nuclear suppliers are coordinating their export policies within the framework of the Zangger Committee and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), each of which has similar but not identical membership. The Zangger Committee defines goods specially designed for nuclear use that are subject to export controls. The list generated by the Zangger Committee is often known as the "Trigger List", as the export of any item on the list triggers IAEA monitoring safeguards. The NSG, which currently consists of 45 member states and the European Commission as permanent observer, controls items on the "Trigger List" plus a range of nuclear related dual-use materials, equipment and technology.Following these agreements, Hong Kong controls the trade in nuclear related materials, equipment and technology.