The Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2006 will come into operation on July 18, 2006 (Tuesday).

"Hong Kong has been closely following the control thresholds adopted by the international non-proliferation regimes when implementing strategic trade control. Whenever these regimes introduce changes to their control lists, Hong Kong would follow suit where appropriate," a spokesman for the Trade and Industry Department (TID) said.

"The current exercise updates Hong Kong's strategic commodities control list to reflect the latest revisions adopted in the control lists of the various international non-proliferation regimes, i.e. the Wassenaar Arrangement, the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Australia Group," he added.

"The main changes include the removal of control over microprocessors that have multiple data or instruction bus or serial communication ports, and the relaxation of control threshold in terms of operational speed for digital computers. Traders will not be required to obtain import and export licences for those microprocessors and digital computers that have been de-controlled and they should welcome these changes" said the spokesman.

Under Hong Kong's legislative framework, import and export of strategic commodities are subject to licensing control by the Director-General of Trade and Industry. "Such controls are necessary in order to monitor and control the flow of strategic commodities, and hence to maintain the confidence of the technology supplying countries in our control system, thereby ensuring Hong Kong's continued access to high-technology products," the spokesman said.

Traders may visit the websites of the Strategic Commodities Control System (www.stc.tid.gov.hk) or the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (www.gov.hk) to refer to the Order (L.N. 95 of 2006 in Legal Supplement No.2 of the Gazette Published on 4 May 2006 (No. 18 Vol. 10)).

Enquiries on the amendments can be made to the Strategic Trade Controls Branch, Trade and Industry Department, 5/F, Trade and Industry Department Tower, 700 Nathan Road, Kowloon, by telephone: 2398 5587 or by email: stc@tid.gov.hk.

The TID will inform traders of the details of the amended Schedule through circular and the general advisory service.

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