Revised duty-free concessions effective from April 1

With effect from April 1, 2007, the quantities of tobacco and alcoholic liquor that local residents and visitors can bring into Hong Kong free of duty will be aligned.

Passengers aged 18 or above will be entitled to the following duty-free concessions:

• 1 litre of alcoholic liquor; and
• 60 cigarettes or 15 cigars or 75 grammes of other manufactured tobacco.

The requirement that passengers holding a Hong Kong Identity Card must have spent 24 hours or longer outside Hong Kong in order to be eligible for the duty-free concessions remains unchanged.

A spokesman for the Customs and Excise Department today (March 16) said, "The existing duty-free concessions remain in force until March 31, 2007."

A passenger aged 18 or above who holds a Hong Kong Identity Card and has spent 24 hours or longer outside Hong Kong is entitled to the following duty-free concessions:

• 750 millilitres of still wine; and
• 60 cigarettes or 15 cigars or 75 grammes of other manufactured tobacco.

In the case of a passenger aged 18 or above who does not hold a Hong Kong Identity Card, the limits of his/her duty-free concessions are as follows:

• 1 litre of alcoholic liquor; and
• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grammes of other manufactured tobacco.

An incoming passenger shall declare to a Customs officer the excessive duty-free goods in his possession for duty payment.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, if an incoming passenger fails to declare or makes a false or incomplete declaration to a Customs officer on the quantity of dutiable goods in his/her possession, he/she is liable to prosecution. Upon conviction of related offences, the maximum penalty is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

Ends/Friday, March 16, 2007