Hong kong Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in hong kong, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Labeling/Marking Requirements-Hong Kong & Macau
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The following information on labeling and marking refers to Hong Kong, unless otherwise indicated.

Hong Kong’s non-tariff barriers related to labeling requirements, standards, and other requirements are generally minimal, but are expected to become more restrictive for supplements. Pharmaceuticals and over the counter (OTC) drugs must have indications of dosage and frequency on the label in both Chinese and English.

Food Labeling

Hong Kong’s food labeling regulations are developed and administered by the Food and Hygiene Environmental Department’s Center for Food Safety.  According to the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labeling) Regulations (Cap. 132W), the following information should be provided on prepackaged food labels:

  • Name of the food
  • List of ingredients (including allergens)
  • Indication of “use by” or “best before” date
  • Statement of special conditions for storage or instructions for use
  • Name and address of manufacturer or packer
  • Count, weight, or volume of food
  • Nutrition Information

Stick-on product labels are allowed to remedy any non-compliance issues on pre-existing labels and can be applied by Hong Kong importers with permission of the manufacturer.  The labels may be provided in English, Chinese, or both languages.  If both languages are used on prepackaged food, the name of the food, ingredient list, and nutritional information must be provided in both languages.

Labeling for Biotech Food Products

The Hong Kong government (HKG) does not require labeling of biotech food products.  In 2006, the government issued guidelines for voluntary labeling of biotech foods containing 5 percent or more of an individual biotech food ingredient.  Negative labeling is not recommended.

Organic Certification

Hong Kong recognizes USDA organic certification, so products are sold in Hong Kong with the USDA organic logo.

Others

Hong Kong regulates the use of sweeteners, preservatives, coloring matter, metallic contaminants, and pesticides.  In the absence of a particular regulation, the Hong Kong government refers to Codex standards and/or conducts a risk assessment to determine applicable import requirements.

For details on Hong Kong’s general import regulations for food products, please refer to Hong Kong GAIN  FAIR report or consult Centre for Food Safety.

Consumer Electrical Appliances Labeling

The Hong Kong Government enacted the Energy Efficiency Labeling Ordinance in May 2008 for consumer electrical appliances.  The ordinance’s Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labeling Scheme (MEELS) is intended to assist consumers in choosing energy efficient products.  Under the ordinance, the manufacturer/importer’s product must be registered with the Hong Kong Electro-Mechanical Services Department and carry an energy label that complies with specified technical requirements.  The ordinance’s first and second phases of implementation covered five types of products sold in Hong Kong: air conditioners, refrigerators, compact fluorescent lamps, washing machines and dehumidifiers.  The third phase of MEELS, which was fully implemented in December 2019, has further extended the coverage to three additional types of electrical products, namely televisions, storage type electric water heaters and induction cookers.  A Code of Practice on Energy Labeling of Products has been approved and issued to provide practical guidance and technical details about the requirements under the Ordinance.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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