Licensing Control Policy

Under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60), the Reserved Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 296), the Ozone Layer Protection Ordinance (Cap. 403) and their subsidiary legislation, imports and exports of certain articles (see below table) are subject to licensing control by the Director-General of Trade and Industry. Therefore, a major function of the Department is to serve the trade by providing various licensing or certification facilities.

The licensing requirement in respect of reserved commodities is to ensure the availability of certain essential foodstuffs for emergency situations. For ozone depleting substances, the purpose of licensing control is to ensure that the local consumption of controlled substances does not exceed levels agreed under the 1987 Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer as amended from time to time.
The following articles are subject to import or export licensing control by the Trade and Industry Department -

(Note: Under delegated authority from the Director-General of Trade and Industry,  the import and export licensing control of pesticides, pharmaceutical products and medicines, radioactive substances and irradiating apparatus and left-hand drive vehicles and outboard engines exceeding 111.9 kilowatts (150 horsepower) and optical disc mastering and replication equipments are exercised by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Department of Health and the Customs and Excise Department respectively and the import licensing control of frozen, chilled meat and poultry is exercised by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department.)

For details, please see the Overview of Hong Kong's Import and Export Licensing and Control