General Standards
Hong Kong is a free trade port. The country pursues a free trade policy and do not maintain barriers on trade. No tariff is charged on import or export of goods. Although licensing is required for the import and export of some number of goods, this is only to fulfill obligations undertaken by Hong Kong to the trading partners, or to meet public health, safety or internal security needs. The licensing procedures are as simplified as possible.
Through participating in multilateral, regional, plurilateral, and bilateral trade agreements, the country secures, maintains and improves access to foreign markets for goods and services.
Hong Kong actively supports and promotes a free, open and stable multilateral trading system. The World Trade Organization (WTO), established in 1995, succeeded the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Hong Kong is a founding member of the WTO and has been participating actively in its activities. Hong Kong has continued its separate membership after return to China in 1997 using the name "Hong Kong, China".
Hong Kong does not have central standards bodies that develop and issue domestic standards. The Hong Kong Product Standards Information Bureau (PSIB), the Hong Kong Accreditation Service (HKAS) and the Standards and Calibration Laboratory (SCL) are the bodies which establish the international trade standards for exporters and importers of different types of products.
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION
The certification system in Hong Kong is administered to facilitate Hong Kong's export to foreign markets. The system establishes the origin of goods that Hong Kong exports to meet the requirements of overseas importing authorities.
Certificates of Origin issued by the Government Approved Certification Organizations (GACOs) are verified by the Protection of Non-government Certificates of Origin Ordinance. These Certificates of Origin have the same legal status as those issued by the TID.
The Customs department pays a special attention on the export and import of construction matherials and consumer products.
a. Construction Materials
For accreditation of construction product certification, the scope of accreditation service is given in HKCAS Supplementary Criteria No. 2. Certification bodies interested in seeking accreditation for construction product certification may contact the TID for further details.
b. Consumer Products
Application for accreditation is open to any certification body which operates a third-party product certification system of type 1b, 2, 3, 4 or 5 as described in ISO/IEC Guide 67: 2004 for specific types of consumer products in one of the following product groups:
- electrical and electronic products ;
- food containers;
- furniture;
- telecommunications equipment;
- textiles, garments, and footwear;
- toys and children's products.
LABELING AND PACKAGING REQUIREMENTS
All the imported or exported products have to contain a very detailed information on the package, written in Chinese and/or English languages. The labeling standards depend on the type of the product.
a. Food Products
The Customs department has elaborated a list of elements which are compulsory on the labelling of foodstuffs and provides detailed requirements for each of these particular. The list includes, for example:
- the characteristics of the foodstuff, including its nature, identity, properties, composition, quantity, durability, origin, method of manufacture or production;
- the effects of properties of the foodstuff;
- suggesting that the foodstuff possesses special characteristics when in fact all similar foodstuffs possess such characteristics;
- attributing to any foodstuff the property of preventing, treating or curing a human disease.
- the name under which the product is sold;
- the list of ingredients;
- any special storage conditions;
- the details of the manufacturer.
b. Energy Products
The label for the energy products must be placed on the outside of the front or top of the appliance in such a way as to be clearly visible. The label itself must contain the following information:
- the supplier’s name or trade mark;
- the supplier’s model identifier;
- the energy efficiency class;
- a copy of the Eco-award mark, where applicable;
- energy consumption expressed in kWh per year;
- sum of net storage volume of all compartments that do not merit a star rating;
- sum of net storage volume of all frozen food storage compartments which merit a star rating;
- star rating of frozen food storage compartment;
- where applicable, noise information.
Hong Kong businesses should note that additional labeling requirements for foods for use in energy-restricted diets still apply under Directive 96/8/EC. Among other things, total diet replacements and meal replacements for weight-control should be labeled with the following:
- the available energy value expressed in kJ and kcal, and the content of proteins, carbohydrates and fat, expressed in numerical form, per specified quantity of the product ready for use as proposed for consumption;
- instructions for appropriate preparation where necessary, and a statement as to the importance of following those instructions;
- if a product, when used as instructed by the manufacturer, provides a daily intake of polyols in excess of 20g per day, there shall be a statement to the effect that the food may have a laxative effect;
- a statement on the importance of maintaining an adequate daily fluid intake;
- for products presented as a replacement for one or more meals of the daily diet: a statement to the effect that the products are useful for the intended use only as part of an energy-restricted diet and that other foodstuffs should be a necessary part of such diet.
CONTACTS
Innovation and Technology Commission
Product Standards Information Bureau
36/F, Immigration Tower
7 Gloucester Road
Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2829-4820
Fax: (852) 2824-1302
Email: psib@itc.gov.hk
Website: http://www.itc.gov.hk/psib
