According to the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) amended by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region through the Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2025, the duty stamp system will be implemented to help distinguish between duty-paid and duty-not-paid cigarettes. Hong Kong Customs launched a three-month pilot run for the duty stamp system on October 6 and plans to implement the first phase of the system in the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by full implementation in the second quarter of 2027.
 
     The pilot run for the duty stamp system aims to simulate workflow and technology in practical operations to evaluate their effectiveness and feasibility, as well as to promote industry and public awareness of the key features of the system that enable them to prepare related compliance in advance.
 
     In the first phase of the pilot run, Customs officers at Duty Collection Offices of designated control points, namely the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Hong Kong Port and selected cargo terminals of Hong Kong International Airport, will affix a trial duty stamp to each unopened retail package of cigarettes brought into Hong Kong by incoming passengers or imported for single shipments upon full duty payment. Meanwhile, local tobacco manufacturers are also invited to join the pilot run and affix trial duty stamps to retail packages of cigarettes intended for local sale. Therefore, cigarettes that bear the trial duty stamps will be supplied on the market later.
 
     The trial duty stamps are designed to bear both physical and digital anti-counterfeiting features. Customs officers and members of the public can scan the encrypted QR code on the trial duty stamp using dedicated devices available at the designated control points or retail outlets to ascertain the duty-paid status of the cigarettes. For easy identification, trial duty stamps affixed by Customs officers and local manufacturers are respectively in blue and green colours.
 
     Participation in the pilot run is voluntary. Hong Kong Customs welcomes the public to give suggestions and views on the pilot run through questionnaires. After the mid-term evaluation, Hong Kong Customs will extend the pilot run to more Duty Collection Offices at various control points.

Ends/Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Issued at HKT 18:00

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