General Considerations for Import Applications

Applications for import of strategic commodities for legitimate civil purposes are normally approved, unless there is doubt on the end-use of the goods or there is suspicion that the items imported may be re-exported illegally. However, applications covering sensitive commodities are closely scrutinised and may be subject to inter-departmental review. Besides, the Trade and Industry Department may attach conditions to a licence as it considers necessary, e.g. a condition that the importer, after importing the article, may not resell, transfer, or dispose of it without prior authorization from the Director-General, or may not remove it from a place specified by the Commissioner of Customs and Excise, unless he so approves. The latter condition is commonly referred to as a "direction order" and is used to stop unauthorised re-export.

General Considerations for Export Applications

An export application will normally be approved if the Trade and Industry Department is satisfied that a consignment is to be exported to a legitimate end-user for legitimate purposes and would not contribute to proliferation activities, or if the consignment is going to a place with an effective export control system. However, the Department may attach to a licence additional conditions, e.g. a condition that the licensee must obtain a delivery verification certificate for post-shipment verification or an international import certificate prior to the shipment of the goods, or some other acceptable forms of delivery/import certification such as a landing certificate from the importing countries/ places authorities.