Applicants for registration as a Registered Importer of Mainland wheat flour and/ or rice flour should meet the following conditions:
carry on a business registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310); and
have engaged in the import business of wheat flour and/ or rice flour any time between 2007 up to the date of application for the registration to the Trade and Industry Department (TID).
Applicants for registration as a Registered Importer of Mainland rice should meet the following conditions:
carry on a business registered in Hong Kong under the Business Registration Ordinance (Cap. 310);
registered as a Rice Stockholder under the Rice Control Scheme in accordance with the Reserved Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 296); and
have engaged in the import business of rice any time between 2007 up to the date of application for the registration to TID.
Applicants can apply for the registration by submitting the duly completed application form and the required supporting documents via the Trade and Industry Department's (TID's) e-Form Submission Service, by post, or in person.
Under normal circumstances, applicants will be informed of the application results within 4 clear working days (excluding day of receipt and day of issue) after TID has received the duly completed application forms and all necessary supporting documents.
Upon approval by the Trade and Industry Department, an applicant will receive a Certificate, which is valid up to 31 December of the year, to confirm its status as a Registered Importer in the category(ies) of Mainland cereals and grain flour concerned.
For wheat flour and rice flour, Registered Importers should report the monthly import quantities from the Mainland in the preceding month on or before the 15th day of every month using the specified proforma.
As for rice, Registered Importers should submit the Rice Stockholders' Monthly Return to the Rice Control Unit of the Trade and Industry Department (TID) in accordance with the Reserved Commodities (Control of Imports, Exports and Reserve Stocks) Regulations (Cap. 296A).
Moreover, a Registered Importer should undertake:
to take all reasonable and practicable measures in ensuring that the wheat flour, rice flour, and rice imported from the Mainland are for consumption in Hong Kong only and not for re-export;
to maintain accurate and up-to-date records of purchase, storage and sales. If the wheat flour, rice flour, and rice are imported from multiple origins, proper stock records should be kept to differentiate such imports from those imported from the Mainland;
to agree, under reasonable circumstances, to provide relevant officers of the HKSAR Government with information relating to item (ii) above and to give consent to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR Government) to disclose the relevant information to the Mainland authorities. Such information will only be used for purposes relating to the Mainland export administration measures for cereals and grain flour and the Registration; and
to permit relevant officers of the HKSAR Government, under reasonable circumstances, to enter its business and storage premises to inspect and verify information relating to item (ii) above.
If the Registered Importer has breached any of the above undertakings without reasonable written explanations, TID may cancel its registration and revoke the Certificate(s) issued. TID will also remove it from the Register.