​Hong Kong Customs today (September 1) extended the Free Trade Agreement Transhipment Facilitation Scheme (FTA Scheme) to cover transshipment cargoes from the Mainland to Vietnam and Nicaragua via Hong Kong, and from Serbia via Hong Kong to the Mainland.
The scope of service of the FTA Scheme originally covers cargoes of 68 economies under 20 trade agreements signed between the Mainland and its trading partners to be transshipped northbound via Hong Kong to the Mainland, and the Mainland transshipment cargoes heading southbound via Hong Kong for Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Australia under seven trade agreements signed.
Upon the extension, local traders starting from today can apply to Hong Kong Customs for a Certificate of Non-manipulation for the purpose of claiming a preferential tariff under the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation between the Association of South East Asian Nations and the People's Republic of China or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the China-Nicaragua Free Trade Agreement, and the China-Serbia Free Trade Agreement, for cargoes from the Mainland transshipped to Vietnam and Nicaragua via Hong Kong, and those from Serbia transshipped to the Mainland via Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Customs will actively take forward the extension of the coverage of the FTA Scheme to enable more goods passing through Hong Kong to enjoy tariff concessions provided under relevant trade agreements, assist enterprises to explore overseas markets, and reinforce Hong Kong's pioneering status as a logistics hub.
Hong Kong Customs has implemented the FTA Scheme since December 20, 2015, to provide traders with Customs supervision service and issue the Certificate of Non-manipulation to certify transshipment cargoes that have not undergone any further processing during their stay in Hong Kong. For applications, please visit www.customs.gov.hk/en/service-enforcement-information/trade-facilitation/fta/procedure/index.html.
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