â€‹The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 23) that an aquatic product manufactured in a regulated Japanese metropolis was suspected to be in breach of the relevant Food Safety Order when the CFS inspected a consignment of food imported from Japan. The product concerned has been marked and sealed by the CFS and has not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the case.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "During an inspection of the food label of the concerned consignment of food imported from Japan, the CFS found six packs of dried bonito flakes suspected to have been manufactured in Tokyo after the Order was issued. The importer concerned is thus suspected of breaching the relevant Order."

     According to the Order, all aquatic products originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, are prohibited from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong if they are harvested, manufactured, processed or packed on or after August 24, 2023, including all live, chilled, frozen, dried or otherwise preserved aquatic products, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action, including informing the Japanese authorities concerned of the incident. Prosecution will be instituted against the importer concerned should there be sufficient evidence. The investigation is ongoing.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Thursday, November 23, 2023 is 104.7 (same as yesterday's index).

     The Labour Department (LD) is investigating a fatal work accident that happened at the Peak this morning (November 23) in which a man died. 

     The LD immediately deployed staff to the scene upon receiving a report of the accident, and is now conducting an investigation to look into its cause.  

     Forty-nine convictions were recorded in October 2023 for breaches of legislation enforced by the Environmental Protection Department.
      
     Eighteen of the convictions were under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance, 12 were under the Noise Control Ordinance, six were under the Public Cleansing and Prevention of Nuisances Regulation, and 13 were under the Waste Disposal Ordinance.
      
     A company was involved in two cases of failing to comply with air pollution abatement notice. A $20,000 fine, which was the heaviest fine in October, was imposed on the company for each of its offences.

     Hong Kong Customs on November 14 seized about 29 000 suspected counterfeit goods and about 34 litres of suspected duty-not-paid liquor at the Tuen Mun River Trade Terminal Customs Cargo Examination Compound. The total estimated market value was about $5.8 million, with a duty potential of about $90,000.

     Through risk assessment, Customs on that day inspected a 40-foot container declared as carrying clothes, mobile phone cases and footwear arriving in Hong Kong from Nansha, Guangdong. After inspection, Customs officers found the batch of suspected duty-not-paid liquor and suspected counterfeit goods, including watches, mobile phone cases, mobile phone accessories and clothes therein.

     An initial investigation revealed that the batch of suspected duty-not-paid liquor and suspected counterfeit goods would be transhipped to overseas regions.

     An investigation is ongoing.

     Customs will continue to combat smuggling activities and cross-boundary counterfeit goods activities as well as illicit liquor activities by interception at source for protection of revenue with stringent enforcement action based on risk assessment and intelligence analysis.

     Under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, any person who imports or exports any goods to which a forged trademark is applied commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.

     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit liquor commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected counterfeiting activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).