24-hour hotline : 23 922 922
Ref : TRA CR 1015/35
22 April 2004
(Main text updated on 30 April 2025)
Strategic Trade Controls Circular No. 14/2004
Temporary Import of Strategic Commodities
and their Subsequent Return to the Exporting Country/Place
Under the Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations (Cap. 60G, Laws of Hong Kong), all imports and exports of strategic commodities (Note 1) must be under and in accordance with a licence issued by the Director-General of Trade and Industry ("DGTI"). This circular sets out the arrangement for the temporary import of strategic commodities and their subsequent return to that country/place.
2. Under this arrangement, the goods must be physically examined by the Customs and Excise Department at the time of import and subsequent return to the original exporting country/place. Customs officers would certify the results of such examination on the original and duplicate of the import and export licences (Note 2) to ensure strategic commodities temporarily imported into Hong Kong will not be diverted, transhipped or re-exported except under the authority of an export licence issued by the DGTI.
How to Apply for Licences ?
3. The import and export licence applications for the temporary import arrangement should be submitted together to the Integrated Customer Service Centre (“ICSC”) at Room 1324, 13/F, Trade and Industry Tower, 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong. Applications should be made on Import Licence (Strategic Commodities) Application Form [TID501] (Annex A) (fillable pdf format) and Export Licence (Strategic Commodities) Application Form [TID502] (Annex B) (fillable pdf format). Licence Application Forms are available for collection at the ICSC of the Trade and Industry Department ("TID"), or they can also be downloaded from the Strategic Commodities Control System Website ("SC Website") at https://www.stc.tid.gov.hk. Applicants should make the following statement in "Part (D) End Use of Commodities" on the import licence application form:
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"Goods to be imported for
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| ____________________________________________________________________________________ |
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(purpose of temporary import, e.g. exhibition, repair, etc.)
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| and subsequent return to________________________________________________________________ |
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(original exporting country/place)
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| on or before __________________________________________________________________________." |
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(expected departure date)
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4. The related export licence application for the subsequent return of the goods to the original exporting country/place should cover the same products declared on the import licence application. Applicants should make the following statement in "Part (D) End Use of Commodities" on the export licence application form :
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“Goods to be returned to ______________________________________________________________for
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(original exporting country/place)
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| ____________________________________________________after temporarily imported to Hong Kong |
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(ultimate end-use in destination country/place)
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for_________________________________________________________________________________
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| (purpose of temporary import, e.g. exhibition, repair, etc.) |
5. In addition to completing the licence application forms, applicants should also provide the following supporting documents:
- technical specifications/catalogue/brochure of the goods;
- a certification from the end-user/owner of the goods affirming the need for repair of the goods or a certification from the organiser of the exhibition affirming the applicant's participation in the exhibition. Alternatively, if goods are temporarily imported for purposes other than repairing and for exhibition, similar documents should be provided to demonstrate the genuine need for temporary import; and
- a duly completed Declaration and Undertaking for Temporary Import of Strategic Commodities ("Declaration and Undertaking") [SC012] at Annex C (fillable pdf format). In case the submitted version is a softcopy, the TID and/or the Customs and Excise Department and/or other government departments may request the applicant to provide the original copy of the document for verification if necessary. Therefore, the applicant must keep the original copy of the document for checking.
6. The licence applications and the Declaration and Undertaking must be signed by the same person, who should be a responsible person of the relevant company. Sample of Declaration and Undertaking is at Annex D (pdf format). A numbered receipt will be issued for each pair of applications.
7. Applications for the temporary import licence and the related export licence can also be made electronically. The E-Applications can be made through Trade Single Window (TSW) (Note 3) or companies' E-Accounts on the SC Website (Note 4) under the option of "Apply for Temporary Import of Goods" provided in the “E-Applications” menu (At https://www.stc.tid.gov.hk > Login Your E-Account > E-Applications > Temporary Import Application > Apply for Temporary Import of Goods). The supporting documents can be uploaded and submitted together with the E-Application. Alternatively, they can be submitted to the TID by fax (fax no.: 2396 3070), by email (email address: stc@tid.gov.hk) or in person at the ICSC.
8. To submit E-Applications, companies are required to register an E-Account on the SC Website or become “Linked-up” TSW users.
Issuance of Licence and Physical Examinations at Time of Import and Upon Return
9. For each approved temporary import application, no matter paper or electronic, a pair of paper import and export licences will be issued. Applicants can get back the pair of licences by presenting the receipt at the ICSC. To ensure the licences are ready for collection, applicants are advised to check at the SC Website (https://www.stc.tid.gov.hk/service/applicationStatusQuickcheck.do?locale=eng&text=0) the processing status of their applications in advance. An approved temporary import licence and the related export licence are both valid for 3 months from the date of issue. Samples are at Annexes E (pdf format) and F (pdf format).
10. After obtaining the licences, the licensee must:
- make arrangements with the Customs and Excise Department, at least 3 days in advance, for physical examination of the goods at a Customs Control Point at the time of import and upon their subsequent return to the original exporting country/place. To facilitate Customs examination, catalogue/brochure of the goods should be provided to Customs officers. To make appointments for examination of the goods, please contact the Customs and Excise Department as follows::
| (i) |
Air passenger's baggage |
2182 1084 |
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| (ii) |
Air cargo |
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2116 4130 |
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2116 4106 |
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| (iii) |
Ferry cargo |
) China Ferry Terminal |
2738 2919 |
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) HK-Macau Ferry Terminal |
2547 4943 |
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| (iv) |
Lorry cargo |
) Man Kam To |
2679 2000 |
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) Lok Ma Chau |
2482 8758 |
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) Sha Tau Kok |
3552 0333 |
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) Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port |
3195 2656
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) Heung Yuen Wai |
3552 0333 |
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) Shenzhen Bay |
3545 3743 |
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| (v) |
Ship cargo |
) Kwai Tsing Container Terminals |
2410 8045 |
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) River Trade Terminal |
2180 8977 |
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) Others |
3152 0133-6 |
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| (vi) |
Train cargo |
) Lo Wu |
2679 1208 |
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) Hung Hom |
2774 3494 |
- present the goods to Customs officers at a Customs Control Point at the time of import and the subsequent return to the original exporting country/place for:
- physical examination of the goods; and
- certification on the original and duplicate of the import licence (in respect of import) and the export licence (in respect of the return of the goods) of the results of the physical examination, including short-shipments, if any (see paragraph 10(c) below). No export can be effected unless and until the goods have been physically examined and the results of such examination certified on the original and duplicate of the export licence.
- clearly indicate on the original and duplicate of the import licence the quantity actually imported, should this quantity be smaller than the quantity licensed, and request Customs' certification at the time of import (see paragraph 10(b)(ii) above).
11. Furthermore, the licensee
must submit,
in person,
within 7 days upon return of the goods to the original exporting country/place, a letter reporting the return of the goods together with the
duplicates of the import and export licences (
Note 2), both bearing Customs' certification of examination results, to the Licensing Section of the Strategic Trade Controls Branch of the TID at ICSC. The licensee must obtain an acknowledgement of receipt of such letter and the duplicates of the licences from the Strategic Trade Controls Branch at ICSC.
Compliance with the Terms in the Declaration and Undertaking
12. In order to uphold the integrity of the import and export control system of strategic commodities, the TID takes a serious view of any breach of the conditions under which licences are issued. Licence applicants are reminded that they must strictly comply with the conditions of issue of licences including the terms contained in the Declaration and Undertaking. Companies and/or signatories to the licences who fail to fully comply with the terms in the Declaration and Undertaking and other conditions of issue of the licences are liable to prosecution and/or administrative actions (e.g. denial of licensing service).
Enquiries
13. Should you have any enquiries, please contact us at 2398 5575, by fax to 2396 3070, or by email to stc@tid.gov.hk.
Strategic Trade Controls Branch
Trade and Industry Department
Note 1 :
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Strategic commodities are those commodities which are set out in the Schedules to the Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations (Cap. 60G, Laws of Hong Kong). The Schedules are available at the SC Website at https://www.stc.tid.gov.hk. If traders have doubt on whether an item is classified as strategic commodity, they could make use of the Pre-classification Service provided by the Classification Section. For enquiries on the service, please refer to the Strategic Trade Controls Circular No. 11/2024 or contact us at 2398 5587.
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Note 2 :
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The original of the import licence and the original of the export licence are to be returned to the TID by the shipping company, airline company or transportation company together with the import manifest and export manifest in accordance with Sections 8 and 11 of the Import and Export Ordinance. The duplicates of the import and export licences are to be returned to the TID in the manner mentioned in paragraph 11 above.
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Note 3 :
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Details of TSW can be found in Strategic Trade Controls Circular No. 2/2024
<https://www.stc.tid.gov.hk/english/circular_pub/2024_stc02.html>.
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Note 4 :
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Details of E-Accounts can be found on the SC Website:
https://www.stc.tid.gov.hk/english/eaccount/how_open.html.
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