Free Trade Agreement Transhipment Facilitation Scheme of Hong Kong Customs Extended
The Free Trade Agreement Transhipment Facilitation Scheme (FTA Scheme) was expanded by Hong Kong Customs on September 1, to include transshipment cargoes from the Mainland to Vietnam and Nicaragua via Hong Kong, as well as from Serbia via Hong Kong to the Mainland.
Originally, the FTA Scheme’s scope of service covered cargoes from 68 economies covered by 20 trade agreements signed between the Mainland and its trading partners, which were to be transshipped northbound via Hong Kong to the Mainland, as well as Mainland transshipment cargoes under seven trade agreements that were headed southbound via Hong Kong for Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, and Australia.
Following the extension, local traders may now apply to Hong Kong Customs for a Certificate of Non-manipulation in order to claim a preferential tariff under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the China-Nicaragua Free Trade Agreement, and the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation between the Association of South East Asian Nations and the People’s Republic of China, for cargoes from the Mainland transshipped to Vietnam and Nicaragua via Hong Kong, as well as those from Serbia transshipped to the Mainland via Hong Kong.
In order to help businesses explore international markets, support Hong Kong’s leading position as a logistics hub, and allow more goods passing through the city to benefit from tariff concessions offered under pertinent trade agreements, Hong Kong Customs will aggressively pursue the extension of the FTA Scheme’s coverage.
Since December 20, 2015, Hong Kong Customs has been operating under the FTA Scheme, which offers traders Customs monitoring services and the ability to certify transshipment commodities that have not received any further processing while in Hong Kong by issuing a Certificate of Non-manipulation. To apply, go to:
www.customs.gov.hk/en/service-enforcement-information/trade-facilitation/fta/procedure/index.html.
