東莞市外商投資企業協會是經東莞市民政局批準，于1992年7月12日成立的社會團體法人，是經由國家授權機關批準及工商行政管理機關注冊的東莞市境內的中外合資企業、中外合作企業、外商獨資企業、有外商投資的對外加工裝配企業（包括香港、澳門、臺灣同胞及海外僑胞投資企業，以下簡稱外商投資企業）以及從事外商投資服務工作的機構自愿結成的地方性、聯合性的非營利性的社會組織。

協會接受業務主管單位東莞市商務局的指導、社團登記管理機關東莞市民政局（東莞市社會組織管理局）的監督管理。
東莞市外商投資企業協會現有34個分支機構（包括各鎮街分會、韓商分會和保稅物流分會）分布在東莞市32個鎮街，會員企業約2000家。協會的宗旨是“服務政企，創新共贏”，協會的目標是建設有東莞特色的外商投資企業協會。

自2002年，協會從政府機構主導的團體逐步轉變為以外商為主導的民間團體。主要職能工作：

（一）傳遞國家和省、市對外貿易、外商投資的法律、法規和政策。如：通過召開政策宣講會和研討會、發布《每周信息速遞》及《簡訊》，了解企業所需，提供政策咨詢，協助企業了解最新政策；通過建立協會網站和創辦會刊《東莞外商》，打造一個更便捷、更廣泛的宣傳平臺，拓展在莞外商了解政策信息的重要渠道。

（二）增強與政府機構的聯系，協助引進高新技術、優質的資本、先進管理理念，反映、解決企業困難，為企業的生產經營創造良好環境。如：通過與各職能部門座談溝通；堅持每月參加“東莞市外商聯絡小組協調會議”，與領導直接對話，現場及時解決問題。

（三）加強與政府職能部門和友好單位的聯系與合作，溝通信息，交流經驗。如：通過與黃埔海關簽訂 “推薦誠信守法會員企業”合作協議、及與東莞海關建立季度座談會和特邀聯絡員合作機制，加強關企聯系，為企業通關建立綠色通道；通過與香港中華總商會、香港中華廠商聯合會、中國香港（地區）商會－廣東、香港電子業商會和東莞電子業商會簽訂“合作備忘錄”，互通信息，相互支持，共同進步。

（四）組織會員企業相互交流，共同進步。如：通過企業互訪、參觀考察，讓會員企業相互學習借鑒。

（五）指導和協助分會工作。如：通過走訪分會，了解相互運作的情況，交流學習經驗，增強凝聚力。

（六）促進會員在東莞社會經濟發展中發揮積極作用。如：通過向廣大會員企業調查收集日常經營過程中的困難和相關意見和建議，形成報告，并在國家、省、市政府等部門的座談、調研會議上反映，為制定有關政策和法規提供了重要的參考依據。同時，意見的采納讓外商企業扎根發展倍增信心，積極反映自身經營情況和提出經濟發展的良好建議，促進政企雙贏。
                 

A social organization with a legal corporate status established on July 12, 1992 upon approval by the Dongguan City Bureau of Civil Affairs, the Dongguan City Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment (the “Association”) is a local non-profit social group approved by State authorities and registered with the industry and commerce administration departments to provide services to the Sino-foreign joint venture enterprises, Sino-foreign contractual cooperative enterprises, wholly foreign-owned enterprises and foreign-funded enterprises involved in foreign processing and assembly (including enterprises funded by our compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan and overseas Chinese) in Dongguan City (“Foreign-invested Enterprises”).                    

The Association is under the guidance of Bureau of Commerce of Dongguan City, which is the competent department in charge of its business, and the supervisory management of Bureau of Civil Affairs of Dongguan Municipality ( Bureau of Administration of Social Organizations of Dongguan City ).  

The Association now has 34 affiliates (including Korean Enterprise Branch and Logistics Enterprise Branch), which distributed in neighborhoods of Dongguan City, and about 2000 members. The purpose of the Association is to “serve enterprises and embrace the future” and its objective is to build itself into an association of Foreign-invested Enterprises with Dongguan characteristics.

Since 2002, the Association has gradually changed from a group dominated by government agencies to a nongovernmental body oriented toward foreign investors. Its functions are to:  

(1) Communicate the laws, regulations and policies of the State, province and city concerning foreign trade and foreign investment by, for example, holding policy presentations and seminars and releasing the Weekly Information Express and the latest Industrials Information. Other means by which it aims to fulfill this function include launching a website and publishing its own journal, the Dongguan Foreign Businessmen, to create a more convenient and extensive publicity platform and create an important channel through which people can be informed about policy dynamics;  

(2) Increase contact with government agencies, assist in importing high technology, quality capital and advanced management philosophies, and reflect and help solve the difficulties of enterprises and create a favorable environment for the production and operations of enterprises by, for example, calling on the secretary of the Party Committee and chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the city each year; holding a “Symposium of Foreign Businessmen” to communicate with the functional departments; taking part in the monthly “Coordination Meeting of the Foreign Businessmen Liaison Group of Dongguan City” to maintain dialogues with leaders directly and solve problems on the spot;

(3) Strengthen contact and cooperation with functional government departments and other units to exchange information and experience by, for example, cooperation with Customs to guide the enterprises to consummate the customs affairs management, and apply for the “A Class Management Enterprise”, holding a quarterly symposium with Dongguan Customs, and establishing a cooperation mechanism of specially engaged liaison people to reinforce contact between enterprises and the customs, and provide enterprises with an express channel for Customs clearance; and by signing the “cooperation memorandum” with Hong Kong Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong Chinese Manufacturers’ Association, Hong Kong Chinese entrance and exit to the chamber of commerce, Hong Kong Young Industrialists Council, Federation of Hong Kong Industries PRD Council, Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce in China (Guangdong), Hong Kong Electronic Industries Association and Dongguan Electronic Industries Association for the exchange of information, mutual support and common progress;

(4) Organize member enterprises to conduct mutual exchanges for common progress through, for example, visits to enterprises to learn from each other;

(5) Guide and assist the branches by, for example, visiting them to learn about their operations, exchange learning experiences and enhance cohesiveness;

(6) Encourage members to play a positive role in the social and economic development of Dongguan by, for example, gathering from member enterprises complaints, comments and suggestions from their daily business management to form reports and relay the information at the symposiums and workshops held by the State, provincial and municipal government departments, thereby providing an important reference for developing relevant policies, laws and regulations. Meanwhile, the collection of the comments enables foreign-funded enterprises to be more confident in their development, actively reflect on their own business situation and offer good suggestions on economic development to achieve a win-win result for both the government and the enterprises.