Purpose

The purpose of this guide is to provide general guidance for importers who wish to apply for an import licence for the import of frozen meat, chilled meat, frozen poultry and chilled poultry into Hong Kong.

Statutory Requirement

2. With effect from 1 August 2000, the import of frozen meat, chilled meat, frozen poultry or chilled poultry requires an import licence under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60). The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department is the designated authority to issue import licence for these commodities.

3. The meat includes beef, mutton, pork, veal or lamb, and the offal of any animal from which such meat is derived. The poultry includes the carcass of a domestic fowl, duck, goose or turkey or any part of such a carcass, and any part of a bird mentioned above which is edible or used in the preparation of food.

Application Procedure

4. Importers of frozen meat, chilled meat, frozen poultry or chilled poultry should apply for the import licence from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Departmentt's Import Registration Office on 8/F, Murray Road Multi-storey Carpark Building, 2 Murray Road, Central, Hong Kong.

5. Each consignment of the frozen meat, chilled meat, frozen poultry and chilled poultry is to be covered by one import licence. Application for import licence should be made by completing the Import Licence Form 3 (TRA 187) in quadruplicate. Licence applications must be supported by a valid health certificate issued by the recognized authority of the exporting country covering the consignment or by specific approval from the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene. Upon receiving the licence application, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will issue an acknowledgement slip to the applicant. The applicant is required to produce the acknowledgement slip when collecting the licence from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. Under normal circumstances, the licence will be ready for collection after one clear working day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, dates of submission and issuing).

6. There is no fee to be charged on the applicant for processing the import licence. However, a fee is charged on the Import Licence Form 3.

7. The Import Licence Form 3 (TRA 187) can be purchased by the following ways -

8. With effect from 1 August 2007, import licences for frozen meat, chilled meat, frozen poultry and chilled poultry will only be issued to importers enrolled under the Pre-Statutory Voluntary Registration Scheme of the Centre for Food Safety. Hence, importing firms should first notify the Center for Food Safety of their businesses if they intend to import meat and poultry. For the purpose of registration, the importer is required to complete the application form at Appendix I and submit the form together with a certified copy of the Business Registration Certificate (Form 2) of the firm to the Centre for Food Safety. The importer can submit the above documents by mail or by personal delivery. Application may also be submitted by E-form and must be digitally signed.

9. Any person who imports into Hong Kong in the personal baggage solely for his personal use in an amount not exceeding 15 kilograms may be exempted from the requirement of an import licence provided that the meat or poultry in question is accompanied by a valid official certificate recognized by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene.

Validity of Licence

10. An import licence is normally valid for one shipment only and for a period of 6 weeks from the date of issue.

Delivery of Import Licence

11. When an application is approved, 3 copies (i.e. the original, duplicate and triplicate) of the licence will be issued to the importer. The importer is required, within 7 days upon importation of the meat or poultry, to deliver the triplicate of the licence to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. The triplicate of licence must first be correctly endorsed by him with shipment arrival details, name and address of the place of cold storage where the food is stored before submission to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department. The duplicate is retained by the importer. The owner of vessel, aircraft or vehicle engaged in the importation of the meat or poultry is required, within 14 days upon importation of the food, to deliver the original of the import licence together with the manifest to the Trade and Industry Department.

Registration of Cold Storage

12. A licensing condition for the issue of import licence requires imported consignment of meat and poultry to be stored in registered cold storage. The cold stores licensed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department as listed in Appendix II are automatically registered as the cold storages for the imported meat and poultry. A registered importer who imports frozen/chilled meat and poultry for the purpose of his food business licensed by the Department may register his licensed food premises as cold storage for the imported meat and poultry. Details of registration of cold storage are contained in the registration form at Appendix III.

Enquiries

13. For enquiries, please call our Senior Health Inspector (Import/Export) Import Registration at 2156 3040 or Health Inspector (Import/Export) Import Registration at 2156 3041 or 2156 3042.

* The word "chilled" in this Guide refers to the pre-chilling process of food with subsequent storage at a temperature between 0¢J and 4¢J .

Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department