​Hongkong Post announced today (February 5) that the acceptance of postal items containing goods destined to the United States is suspended with immediate effect. Services for postal items containing documents only will … read more
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) today (February 5) expressed strong disapproval of the imposition of additional 10 per cent duty on products of Hong Kong set out in the Federal Register notice (the “FR Notice”) of the United States (US) Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security, and the temporary suspension of inbound postal items containing goods from Hongkong Post by the US Postal Service.
The spokesman for the HKSAR Government said, “The US’ imposition of additional duty on products of Hong Kong ignores the basic fact that Hong Kong is a separate customs territory, which is recognised by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and clearly stipulated in Article 116 of the Basic Law. We have been a staunch supporter of rule-based multilateral trading system, maintaining constructive and mutually beneficial trade relations with our trading partners all over the world including the US. In 2023, the US was the third largest trading partner of Hong Kong, with the total merchandise trade value amounting to US$60.3 billion. At the same time, Hong Kong is the US’ 27th largest trading partner. During the past 10 years, the US has realised a trade surplus of US$271.5 billion with Hong Kong, the largest among its global trading partners. These figures clearly demonstrate the close economic interaction between Hong Kong and the US, as well as the vast business interests of US businesses in Hong Kong.”
“As a founding member of the WTO, the HKSAR has all along been upholding the principle of free and unimpeded trade. We strongly oppose any attempts to undermine Hong Kong’s reputation and erode our status as a separate customs territory. We urge the US to take urgent actions to rectify the FR Notice as well as to lift the suspension of accepting inbound postal items containing goods from Hongkong Post as a matter of priority.
“We are closely monitoring developments. If the US does not rectify its wrongdoing, we will take all possible actions to defend our legitimate interests, including consider taking up the matter in the WTO,” stressed the spokesman. read more
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (February 5) urged the public not to consume a batch of raw milk cheese imported from France due to possible contamination with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). The trade should stop using or selling the affected product immediately if they possess it.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: MORBIER LAIT CRU DE SCEY AOP 7KG MEULE
Brand: PERRIN VERMOT
Place of origin: France
Pack size: 6.56 kilograms
Best-before date: February 23, 2025
Batch number: 34008
Importer: Culina HK Limited
“The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission that the above-mentioned product is being recalled in France due to possible contamination with STEC. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately contacted local importers for follow-up. A preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batch of the product concerned,” a spokesman for the CFS said.
The importer concerned has stopped sale and removed the affected batch of the product from shelves and initiated a recall according to the CFS’s instructions. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 2342 3221 during office hours.
“People will contract STEC-causing gastro-intestinal disease through consumption of contaminated water or undercooked and contaminated foods. Intestinal bleeding and serious complications such as hemolytic uraemic syndrome may also develop in some people,” the spokesman said.
The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing. read more
The interdepartmental working group on festival arrangements, led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (February 5) announced that the overall number of visitors to Hong Kong reached around 1.4 million following the conclusion of the eight-day Chinese New Year Golden Week of the Mainland (January 28 to February 4) yesterday, with various arrangements for receiving visitors rolling out smoothly.
Mr Chan said, “During this Chinese New Year Golden Week, the wide range of celebration events held in Hong Kong, including the Cathay International Chinese New Year Night Parade on the first day of Chinese New Year, the fireworks display on the second day, the Chinse New Year Raceday on the third day and the Chinese New Year Cup football match on the fourth day, were well received by the public and visitors from the Mainland and different parts of the world, allowing them to immerse themselves in a vibrant festive atmosphere.”
Visitor flow and situation of boundary control points
During the eight-day Chinese New Year Golden Week, the Immigration Department recorded a total of around 1.4 million inbound visitors to Hong Kong through various sea, land and air control points. Among them, Mainland visitors accounted for about 1.2 million, representing around 85 per cent of the total arrivals. The daily average of Mainland visitors was around 150 000.
The arrival of Mainland visitors peaked on January 30 (the second day of Chinese New Year) with around 190 000 Mainland visitors arriving in Hong Kong. During the Chinese New Year Golden Week, the Express Rail Link West Kowloon Control Point received the highest number of Mainland visitors, followed by the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point. The overall operation of the control points and transport services ran smoothly.
Major tourist attractions, inbound tour groups and hotel occupancy rate
Visitors went to different parts of Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year Golden Week, with high visitor flow observed at major tourist attractions including the West Kowloon Cultural District, Ocean Park, Hong Kong Disneyland, the Peak Tram and Ngong Ping 360. Smooth and effective crowd management measures were implemented. In addition, according to the information provided by the hotel industry, the hotel occupancy rate during the Chinese New Year Golden Week reached 90 per cent in general.
In terms of Mainland inbound tour groups, according to the Travel Industry Authority’s information, over 2 200 Mainland inbound tour groups visited Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year Golden Week, with around 83 per cent engaged in overnight itineraries. These tour groups involved around 79 000 visitors, accounting for around 7 per cent of all Mainland visitors, and they were orderly in general.
Cross-boundary traffic
Throughout the Chinese New Year Golden Week, the Transport Department had been steering public transport operators to enhance their service capacity with a view to meeting the cross-boundary passenger demand. The traffic conditions at various boundary control points were mostly smooth.
Mr Chan said, “Thanks to the close collaboration of all relevant government departments, organisations and the trade in making comprehensive preparations and responses, as well as the co-operation of the public and tourists, the various reception arrangements during the Chinese New Year Golden Week operated smoothly this year, enabling citizens and tourists to celebrate the Chinese New Year in Hong Kong in a joyous and festive manner.” read more
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (February 5) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly… read more