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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref. : TID TS 50/1

9 November 2017
(updated on 20 June 2022)

Dear Sirs,

Hong Kong Registered Wine Exporters Registration Circular No. 1/2017
Further Extension of Customs Facilitation Measures for Wine Entering the Mainland through Hong Kong
and Registration as Hong Kong Registered Wine Exporters

Introduction

With immediate effect, the customs facilitation arrangements for wine(Note 1) entering the Mainland through Hong Kong Special Administrative Region have been further extended to all ports under all 42 Customs Districts in the Mainland.

Details

2.To strengthen Hong Kong's position as a wine trading and distribution hub in Asia, the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) of Hong Kong and the General Administration of Customs (GAC) of the Mainland signed the "Co‑operation Arrangement on Customs Facilitation Measures for Wine Entering the Mainland through Hong Kong" ("Customs Facilitation Arrangement") on 9 February 2010. Hong Kong Registered Wine Exporters can submit in advance the wine consignment information through the web-based computer system of C&ED to the Mainland Customs. Wine consignments arriving at any of the ports under all 42 Customs Districts in the Mainland will receive instantaneous customs clearance by the Mainland Customs with immediate effect. Details of the facilitation measures are at Annex I (pdf format).

3.Local companies/ registered businesses may apply to the Trade and Industry Department (the Department) for registration as a Registered Wine Exporter. The registration is voluntary. Non-registered companies/ registered businesses may continue to export wine to the Mainland in accordance with the general procedures of the Mainland Customs.

Registration Conditions

4. Applicants should meet the following conditions:

  1. carry on a business registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310) for not less than 6 months; and
  2. have engaged in substantive business operation in wine(Note 2) in Hong Kong for the 6 months prior to the submission of the application. If the concerned company/ registered business has been established in Hong Kong for more than 6 months, the reference period for engagement in substantive business operation in wine may be relaxed to 12 months prior to the submission of the application.

Application Procedures

5.Applicants should complete and return the application form at Annex II (pdf format) together with the required supporting documents in person at the Integrated Customer Service Centre (ICSC) of the Department in Room 1324 on 13/F of the Trade and Industry Tower (the Tower), 3 Concorde Road, Kowloon City, Hong Kong, or by post (Note 3) to the Registration Unit for Hong Kong Registered Wine Exporters (the Registration Unit) on 14/F of the Tower. For payment methods, please refer to paragraph 16 below. Applicants can also apply for the registration electronically by submitting the duly completed electronic application form and the required supporting documents via the Department's e-Form Submission Service (Note 4) <https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/aboutus/form/publicform/others/allforms.html>. For such e-submission, payment for the application fee can be made by e-Cheque; through online credit card payment via the Department's e-Payment Platform Portal <https://www.tid.gov.hk/epay?lang=en_US>; or by mailing the crossed cheque and the duly completed fee demand note to the Registration Unit. Where necessary, the Department may request the applicant to provide additional information and supporting documents.

6.C&ED will conduct verification on each applicant and will inform the Department of the verification result. Verification may include validation of the documents received as well as inspection of the relevant business and storage premises. Under normal circumstances, the Department will inform the applicants of the results of their application within 10 clear working days (excluding day of receipt and day of issue) following the receipt of the duly completed application with all required supporting documents and proof of payment/ payment of the application fee.

Registration Certificate and Validity Period

7.Upon verification by the Department, an applicant who meets the registration conditions will be issued with a Certificate valid for two years as well as the login ID and password for using the web-based computer system of the C&ED. The Department will publish a Register of Hong Kong Registered Wine Exporters at its website <https://www.tid.gov.hk>.

Obligations and Undertakings

8. A Registered Wine Exporter should undertake:

  1. to operate in compliance with the law, not to provide any forged documents, and to take all reasonable and practicable measures in ensuring that the documents provided to relevant officers of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) are accurate and correct;
  2. to maintain records of transactions and imports/ exports relating to the wine exported to the Mainland for at least two years, including the sales contracts, invoices and transport documents, etc.;
  3. to agree, under reasonable circumstances, to provide relevant officers of the HKSAR Government with the information relating to the application and item (ii) above and to give consent that the HKSAR Government may disclose the relevant information to the Mainland Customs. Such information will only be used for the purposes relating to the "Customs Facilitation Arrangement" and the Registration as Hong Kong Registered Wine Exporters; and
  4. to permit relevant officers of the HKSAR Government, under reasonable circumstances, to enter its business and storage premises for the purpose of inspection and verification of information relating to the application and item (ii) above.

9. If any of the above undertakings is breached without reasonable explanation in writing, the Department may cancel its registration and revoke the Certificate(s) issued. The Department will also remove it from the Register and inform the Mainland Customs.

Renewal Arrangement

10. Existing Registered Wine Exporters who remain in conformity with the registration conditions in paragraph 4 above and are willing to continue to abide by the undertakings of the registration in paragraph 8 above may apply for renewal of registration within the specified period. The Department will notify individual Registered Wine Exporters of the renewal arrangement before the expiry of their registration.

11.To renew the registration, registrants can complete and return the renewal application form at Annex III (pdf format) together with the required supporting documents in person at the ICSC, or by post (Note 3) to the Registration Unit no earlier than two months prior to expiry of the existing registration and no later than two months after expiry thereof. For payment methods, please refer to paragraph 16 below. Registrants can also apply for registration renewal electronically by submitting the duly completed electronic application form and the required supporting documents via the Department's e-Form Submission Service (Note 4) <https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/aboutus/form/publicform/others/allforms.html>. For such e-submission, payment for the renewal application fee can be made by e-Cheque; through online credit card payment via the Department's e-Payment Platform Portal <https://www.tid.gov.hk/epay?lang=en_US>; or by mailing the crossed cheque and the duly completed fee demand note to the Registration Unit. Belated applications received after two months from the expiry of the original validity period of the registration will be taken as new applications.

12.C&ED will likewise conduct verification on each applicant for renewal and will inform the Department of the verification result. Under normal circumstances, the Department will inform the applicants of the results of their application within 10 clear working days (excluding day of receipt and day of issue) following the receipt of the duly completed application with all required supporting documents and proof of payment/ payment of the application fee. Upon successful renewal of the registration, the Department will issue a new Certificate valid for two years(Note 5) to the applicant. For renewal application fee paid by e-Cheque/ mailing of crossed cheque, the payment receipt will be issued to the applicant after vetting of the application.

13.Registered Wine Exporters are reminded to submit their renewal application in good time to ensure that they may continue to make use of the Mainland's customs facilitation measures without interruption(Note 6).

Application Fee and Payment Procedures

14.The application fee for new registration (including belated renewal application) is HK$495. The fee for renewal application is HK$210.

15. Applicants are advised to approach the Registration Unit for preliminary verification of their application forms and the required supporting documents before making payment. For registration applied electronically, applicants can submit their application forms and the required supporting documents via the Department's e-Form Submission Service for our preliminary verification. The application fee shall only be paid upon receiving notice from the Registration Unit after our preliminary verification. The application fees paid shall not be refundable irrespective of whether the application is approved or not.

16. After the Department's preliminary verification mentioned in paragraph 15 above, applicants should complete the respective fee demand note (Annex IV (pdf format) for new application and Annex V (pdf format) for renewal application) (both updated on 20 June 2022) for application fee paid in person or by mailing of crossed cheque. For application to be submitted in person, applicants may make payment for the application fee by crossed cheque, in cash, or through the Easy Pay System (EPS) or the Faster Payment System (FPS) at the Shroff and Form Sales Counter in Room 1309, 13/F, Trade and Industry Tower. After payment, the Shroff and Form Sales Counter will imprint a payment franking on Part A of the fee demand note and return the franked slip to the applicants as a proof of payment. For application to be submitted by post, the payment for the application fee could only be made by a crossed cheque. Applicants are reminded to ensure that the crossed cheque bearing the exact and correct amount should be made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" and can be honoured. Payment for application submitted via the Department's e-Form Submission Service can be made by e-Cheque; through online credit card payment via the Department's e-Payment Platform Portal <https://www.tid.gov.hk/epay?lang=en_US>; or by mailing the crossed cheque and the duly completed fee demand note to the Registration Unit.

Enquiry

17.For details of the Customs Facilitation Arrangement, please visit the Department's website <https://www.tid.gov.hk/english/import_export/nontextiles/wine/index.html> or the C&ED's website <https://www.customs.gov.hk/en/trade_facilitation/wine/index.html>.

18. For any questions, please contact us at:

Tel. No. : 3403 6426
Fax. No. : 2309 7744
E-mail Address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk


Yours faithfully,




(Mr. Steve CHAN)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

Note 1. Wine refers to products classified under four-digit tariff items 22.04 of the Mainland's Import Customs Tariffs.

Note 2. Substantive business operation in wine covers import and export trade, wholesale, retail, logistics and transport, storage and other supporting operation in wine.

Note 3. For application to be submitted by post, the applicant should submit the duly completed application form and fee demand note, together with the required supporting documents and a crossed cheque for payment of the application fee to the Registration Unit. The payment receipt will then be issued to the applicant after vetting of the application.

Note 4. For application to be submitted electronically, the applicant should make payment for the application fee by e-Cheque; through online credit card payment via the Department's e-Payment Platform Portal <https://www.tid.gov.hk/epay?lang=en_US>; or by mailing the crossed cheque and the duly completed fee demand note to the Registration Unit. The payment receipt (only applicable to application with the application fee paid by e-Cheque) will then be issued to the applicant after vetting of the application.

Note 5. Approved applicant for renewal of registration will be issued with a new Certificate valid for two years from the expiry date of the existing registration if the renewal application is received prior to expiry of the existing registration and the processing of the application is completed in time. Other renewed registrations will be valid for two years from the date of approval of the renewal.

Note 6. Registered Wine Exporters might be temporarily removed from the Register maintained by the Department when their existing registrations expire and their renewal applications are being processed.