24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

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

Ref : TID CL 10-3/2 (C)

11 June 2009

Dear Sirs,

Notice to Exporters : 

Series 1 (USA) No. 5/2009

Series 2 (EU) No. 6/2009

Series 3 (Countries other than USA and EU) No. 4/2009

Certificate of Origin Circular No. 7/2009

Import Licensing (Textiles) Circular No. 3/2009

Textiles Trader Registration Circular No. 4/2009

　Revised Textiles Control Arrangements
for Export to the European Union (EU) Market

Further to the Department's circular of 24 April 2009 entitled "Textiles Control Arrangements for the European Union (EU) ¹ Market", this is to inform the trade that the revised textiles control arrangements for export to the EU market will be implemented with effect from 29 June 2009. 

DETAILS

2. With the passage of the Import and Export (General) Regulations (Chapter 60A) (Amendment of Fourth and Fifth Schedules) Order 2009 gazetted on 24 April 2009, the EU market will be re-classified as a non-sensitive market in respect of textiles controls in Hong Kong starting 29 June 2009. Accordingly, the Department will dispense with the Production Notification (PN) and Textiles Trader Registration Scheme (TTRS) requirements for textiles exports to the EU with effect from the same date, and traders can export either with Comprehensive Export Licence (Textiles) or consignment-specific Export Licence (Textiles) Form 4 (TIC 353) for textiles shipments to the EU from then onwards. Besides, the requirement of supporting Certificate of Hong Kong Origin (CHKO) applications covering cut-and-sewn garments destined for the EU with validated PNs will also be lifted on the same date. Details of the revised textiles control arrangements (including the transitional arrangements) are stipulated in the notice of 24 April 2009, which is available at the Department's website: http://www.tid.gov.hk/english/aboutus/tradecircular/all_in_one/2009/as022009.html .

IMPORTANT NOTES

3. As the exemption provided under the TTRS will no longer be applicable to textiles exports to the EU on or after 29 June 2009, textiles notifications lodged for textiles shipments departing Hong Kong for the EU on or after 29 June 2009 will be treated as invalid, even if such textiles notifications are lodged before 29 June 2009. Such textiles shipments will be regarded as not exported under and in accordance with a valid licence and may constitute an offence under the Import and Export Ordinance. For shipments exported to the EU before 29 June 2009, traders should lodge the requests for amendment and cancellation to the Department if there are any changes of particulars to the textiles notifications lodged within 14 working days after the day on which the textiles are exported. 
   
   
4. Traders registered under the TTRS solely for the purpose of exporting to the EU are advised to plan carefully their purchase and use of Export Notification I (TID 550) and Export Notification II (TID 551) forms as unused notification forms will not be refunded. For traders whose TTR would expire shortly before 29 June 2009, it would be their own commercial decisions if they choose to renew their TTR or apply for consignment-specific Export Licence (Textiles) Form 4 to cover textiles exports to the EU in the run up period between the expiry of their TTR and 28 June 2009. In this connection, traders should note that paid TTRS annual registration fee will not be refunded.
   
   
5. Traders who are not currently holders of comprehensive licence (CL) are advised to apply for CL from the Department as soon as possible, if they want to use CL for textiles exports to the EU starting from 29 June 2009. Unless and until they hold a valid CL, they are required to apply for consignment-specific Export Licence (Textiles) Form 4 for shipment to the EU on or after 29 June 2009. For the application procedures and conditions of CL, please refer to the Department's circular of 7 March 2008 entitled "Comprehensive Import Licence (Textiles) and Comprehensive Export Licence (Textiles)", which is available at the Department's website:
   http://www.tid.gov.hk/english/aboutus/tradecircular/all_in_one/2008/as042008.html .
   

ENQUIRIES

6. For enquiries on the revised textiles control arrangements for the EU market, please contact the following units of the Department: 

Yours faithfully,

(CHAN Tze Pang)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry

¹ The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.