LCQ19: Carrying dried seafood and bird's nest products into Mainland
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Question:
In 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the General Administration of Customs of the Mainland revised the "Catalog of Animals and Plants, Animal and Plant Products, and Other Quarantine Objects Prohibited from Being Carried, Mailed, or Delivered into the People's Republic of China" (the Catalog), and dried aquatic animal products are not included in the prohibited list of the Catalog. Moreover, according to the "List of the People's Republic of China of Articles Restricted from Import and Export" (Customs Notice No. 43), dried seafood involving endangered and precious animals are articles restricted from import, and such articles carried by visitors in their luggage for import and export should be limited to reasonable quantities for personal use. However, some members of the industry in Hong Kong have relayed that Mainland visitors still encounter difficulties in carrying dried seafood for custom clearance, and bird's nest products remain prohibited from being carried into the Mainland, dampening the desire of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong to purchase such products. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it knows the actual situation of visitors crossing the boundary carrying dried seafood and bird's nest products into the Mainland at present, including how the provisions of the Catalog are implemented and the specific definition of "reasonable quantities for personal use"; if so, of the details; if not, whether the SAR Government will gain a detailed understanding from the relevant Mainland authorities;
(2) whether, in the past five years, the SAR Government has discussed with the Mainland authorities the arrangements for exempting Hong Kong dried seafood and bird's nest products from customs clearance; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) whether the SAR Government will further discuss with the Mainland authorities, including relaxing the quantity of dried seafood that visitors are allowed to carry into the Mainland and the proposal to allow visitors to carry quarantine bird's nest products sold in Hong Kong into the Mainland; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Hong Kong legislation regulates the export of animal products in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). For animal products (whether regulated under CITES), the Government provides sanitary certification services to assist local exporters in meeting the quarantine and sanitary requirements of importing countries/places.
The reply to the question from the Hon Shiu Ka-fai is as follows:
(1) According to the "Catalogue of Animals and Plants, Animal and Plant Products and other Quarantine Objects Prohibited from being Carried or Mailed into the People's Republic of China" (the Catalogue) revised by the Mainland authorities in 2021, the Mainland prohibits the carrying or mailing of a range of animals, plants, and their products, as well as other quarantine objects into the Mainland. Among others, bird's nest (except commercially sterilised canned bird's nest products) and aquatic animal products are still listed in the Catalogue and cannot be carried or mailed into the Mainland. Dried aquatic animal products not involving endangered species are not under the prohibited Catalogue. At present, passengers carrying such dried aquatic animal products to the Mainland do not need to apply for permits or sanitary/health certificates from the HKSAR Government. As regards the restriction on personal items that individual travellers can carry, including the definition of "reasonable quantity for personal use", falls under the jurisdiction of the Mainland authorities and the judgment of law enforcement officers.
(2) & (3) Regarding bird's nest products, the HKSAR Government and the Mainland authorities in earlier years signed a joint quarantine management plan for bird's nest products purchased by travellers in Hong Kong and brought into the Mainland. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has been actively collaborating and assisting the trade by recommending manufacturers that meet the relevant registration requirements to the Mainland authorities, and holding meetings with the trade and the Mainland authorities to discuss optimising the implementation details.
The HKSAR Government will continue to assist the local trade in exporting animal products through our services in issuing relevant sanitary/health certificates. As regards restrictions on personal items carried by individual travellers, we need to respect the import and export control and regulations of different regions. The HKSAR Government will continue to maintain communication with the Mainland authorities and the trade, and actively convey the trade's demands and views.
Ends/Thursday, September 25, 2025
Issued at HKT 12:20
Issued at HKT 12:20
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