- Import of Alcoholic beverages into Hong Kong is permitted via ISC contract service.
Imports of liquor with an alcoholic strength of not more than 30% by volume measured at a temperature of 20C will be duty free.
For alcohol with an alcoholic strength of more than 30% by volume measured at a temperature of 20C, import license/permit is required and 100% duty would be imposed.
- Shipment of Alternative Smoking Products into (import), from (export) and domestically within Hong Kong SAR, including electronic smoking products, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes, are prohibited.
Please visit the Hong Kong SARs Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office website for more information on Alternative Smoking Products:
HK SAR's Tobacco & Alcohol Control Office Website
- Cannabidiol (CBD) Products
Cannabidiol (CBD) will be listed as a dangerous drug under the control of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134) commencing from 1 February 2023.Any product which contains the ingredient of cannabidiol will be regarded as a dangerous drug. Importation of dangerous drugs requires an import licence and import certificate issued by the Department of Health. A valid export authorization or diversion certificate from the exporting country will also be required.
Controlled Chemicals & Hazardous Chemicals
There are 33 chemicals (including their salts except those of sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid whenever the existence of such salts are possible) grouped in three categories under the schedules of the Control of Chemicals Ordinance. Importation of controlled chemicals requires license or permit.
Please visit the following website for controlled chemicals.
https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/trade_facilitation/chemicals/types/index.html
- Includes the following (this is not all inclusive and only a guideline): Military Aircraft parts, Military Motor vehicles, Tanks, night vision goggles', weapons, firearms, Artillery, Ammunition, Missiles, Explosives, military training equipment and protective personnel equipment, military electronics, space systems, Nuclear Weapons, Submersible vessels.
- The export or import of defense articles which fall under the US State Department (DDTC) or ITAR control require special care to ensure shipments are presented to US Customs at the time of exportation or importation.
- Failure to do so may result in penalties, seizure of the shipment.
- Shippers who fail to provide the proper documentation and export details will have shipments returned to the shipper immediately.
UPS has compliance responsibilities under Export Administrator Regulations (EAR) and must know their customers and be aware of suspicious circumstances that may be present in an export transaction.
State Department Controlled shipments are those shipments which require either a State Department License (SDL) or SDL Exemption, also referred to as ITAR shipments.)
UPS (small package) State Department License (SDL) or State Department License Exemption (SDL Exemption) controlled shipments are prohibited to and from this country or territory.
Please note that UPS Freight Forwarding can address the customer's delivery needs by transporting these restricted shipments via alternate routes that bypass China.
- Shipments of medicine require an Import License.
Viagra and any dangerous drugs shipments consigned to individuals for personal consumption are prohibited and no import license will be issued by the Health Department in Hong Kong.
Please visit the following website for a list of dangerous drugs:
http://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/root/en/pharmaceutical_trade/search_drug_database.html
Dangerous Drugs
The common types of dangerous drugs are stimulants, hypnotics, tranquilizers and sedatives. Examples are opium, morphine, heroin, cannabis, cocaine and amphetamines. A list of dangerous drugs is stipulated under Schedule 1 of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, Chapter 134, Laws of Hong Kong. Importation of dangerous drugs requires an import licence and import certificate issued by the Department of Health. A valid export authorization or diversion certificate from the exporting country will also be required.
Please visit the following website for a list of Dangerous Drugs:
https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap134?xpid=ID_1438402701464_001
Chinese Herbal Medicines and Proprietary Chinese Medicines
The import of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm) and 36 types Chinese herbal medicines (Chm) as listed in the First Schedule to the Import and Export (General) Regulations (Chapter 60, sub Leg.A), Laws of Hong Kong(Opens a new window), are subject to licensing control. Importation of these articles must be covered by an import license issued by the Department of Health.
Please visit the following website for Schedule 1- Chinese Herbal Medicines:
https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap549!en?INDEX_CS=N
https://www.elegislation.gov.hk/hk/cap60A!en?INDEX_CS=N&xpid=ID_1438403522974_001
- Due to a regulatory change, starting April 30, 2022, the Hong Kong SAR government will prohibit the import, manufacture or sale, or use in certain places, of prescribed alternative smoking products (ASP) including electronic smoking products, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes.
UPS is acting in line with this regulatory amendment and starting April 23, 2022, will no longer accept and/or transport ASP including domestic, import and export shipments to, from and within Hong Kong SAR
It shall be seized by HK customs immediately once it arrives.
Electronic Waste or Waste
The import of waste, as set out in Section 20A of the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO), Chapter 354, Laws of Hong Kong, is subject to control by the Environmental Protection Department. Under the control, import of any waste requires a permit issued by the Department unless the waste is: a) listed in the Sixth Schedule of the WDO. b) uncontaminated as defined under the WDO and c) intended for a genuine recycling or reuse purpose.
Common examples of the 6th Schedule wastes are paper waste, textile waste, metal scrap and solid plastic waste. Common examples of hazardous wastes (non-6th Schedule wastes) are clinical waste, waste Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) in computer monitors or television sets, and waste batteries.
- Endangered animals and plants
The import of endangered animals and plants, whether alive, dead, parts or derivatives is controlled under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance Chapter 586, Laws of Hong Kong. To import any endangered species, a license should be obtained for individual shipment in advance from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Please visit the following website for the Checklist of CITES Species:
https://checklist.cites.org/#/en
- Guns, Arms or Ammunition is prohibited articles in UPS global network.
- Infectious Goods & Substance: Category A, UN 2814 Human, UN 2900 Animal: It is prohibited and not accepted by UPS.
Category B, UN 3373: Biological Substance, Category B : Any person who imports any human corpse, human remains, living noxious insect, living pest, any living germ or microbe of disease or any bacterial culture is required to obtain a permit from the Department of Health.
- The imports and exports of rough diamonds must be covered by valid Kimberley Process Certificates (Import) and Kimberley Process Certificates (Export) respectively issued by the HKTID.
- Hong Kong Law:
https://www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/04_crime_matters/cpa/cpa_at_01.html
According to Cap 217 《Weapons Ordinance》, Laws of Hong Kong, any person who has possession of any prohibited items commits an offence.
According to Cap 217 《Weapons Ordinance》, Prohibited weapon included:
- Chinese-style throwing dart
- Gravity knife
- Gravity-operated steel baton
- Knuckleduster whether spiked or not and with or without blade
- Chinese-style fighting iron
- Spring-loaded steel baton
- Any knife the blade of which is exposed by a spring or other mechanical or electric device
Any bladed or pointed weapon designed to be used in a fashion whereby the handle is held in a clenched fist and the blade or point protrudes between the fingers of the fist.
- The import of mammals, birds and reptiles is controlled under the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance, Chapter 139 and Rabies Ordinance, Chapter 421, Laws of Hong Kong. These animals should not be brought into Hong Kong unless a permit is obtained in advance from the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
- Importation of pharmaceutical products and medicine requires an import license issued by the Department of Health prior to shipment arrival.
Please visit the following website for a list of pharmaceutical products and medicine:
http://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/root/en/pharmaceutical_trade/search_drug_database.html
Pharmaceutical products and medicine consigned to individuals for personal consumption are prohibited and no import license will be issued by the Health Department in Hong Kong.
*Restriction on import and export of pharmaceutical products
(1)A person must not carry on business as an importer of pharmaceutical products unless
(a) the person is a licensed wholesale dealer; or
(b) the person is a licensed manufacturer and the products are imported by the person for the purpose of manufacturing the persons own pharmaceutical products.
# individual can't obtain license.
Cannabidiol (CBD) Product
Cannabidiol (CBD) will be listed as a dangerous drug under the control of the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Cap. 134) commencing from 1 February 2023. Any product which contains the ingredient of cannabidiol will be regarded as a dangerous drug. Importation of dangerous drugs requires an import licence and import certificate issued by the Department of Health. A valid export authorization or diversion certificate from the exporting country will also be required.
- An advance electronic declaration must be made to the Customs and Excise Department via the Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Declaration System (CDS) for importing or exporting on a cross-boundary conveyance a large quantity of currency and bearer negotiable instruments (CBNIs) (i.e. CBNIs of a total value more than HKD120,000) as cargo in one batch.
CBNIs means:
a. a note, or coin, that is legal tender in Hong Kong or a place outside Hong Kong; or
b. a negotiable instrument (Note 1) that is:
-
in bearer form;
-
endorsed without any restriction;
-
made out to a fictitious payee;
-
in a form under which the title of it passes on delivery; or
-
signed but does not state a payees name.
Note 1: Examples of such instrument include travellers cheque, bearer cheque, promissory note, bearer bond, money order and postal order.
Meaning of *In One Batch*
CBNIs imported or exported as cargo in one batch refer to CBNIs imported or exported on a cross-boundary conveyance by:
a. a person (other than a carrier*)
b. the same carrier for the same customer* who directly engages the carrier; or
c. the same carrier for the same customer who engages the same forwarder* to arrange for the transportation of the CBNIs to the carrier (Note 2).
*Note 2: If, for example, the customer engages two different forwarders to arrange for the import or export of CBNIs, the CBNIs will be in different batches.
Please Visit the below website for more detail about CBNIs and additional requiements:
https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/service-enforcement-information/cargo-clearance/instruments/index.html
- Plants and Plants Pests
Under the Plant (Importation and Pest Control) Ordinance, Chapter 207, Laws of Hong Kong, it is illegal to import plants, plant pests or soil into Hong Kong without a valid license / authorization issued in advance by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
- Products made in Iran are prohibited in our service due to a current embargo.
- Any form of smokeless tobacco product is prohibited.
Tobacco
For importation of tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, Chinese prepared tobacco & all other manufactured tobacco except tobacco intended for the manufacture of cigarette), it is requiring a license from the Customs and Excise Department and removal permits. In addition, duties are charged at specific rates per unit quantity.
Please visit the following website for Tobacco Duty Rates:
https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/trade_facilitation/dutiable/types/index.html#tobacco
Toothfish Items
Any import of live or dead toothfish items, including any flesh or other part (whether raw, or in any way processed or preserved) is prohibited except under and in accordance with an import licence issued by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
- Toy Guns/Airsoft guns requires an International Special Commodities (ISC) Contract. In addition, a Shipper Declaration to certify the toy guns or airsoft muzzle energy in less than 2 joules is also required.