Hong Kong Duty Reduction
The Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service reports that on Oct. 16 the Hong Kong government announced a significant reduction in the duty on imported alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content above 30 percent by volume. The new policy reduces the duty from a flat 100 percent tax to a tiered duty in which the initial value up to HKD 200 ($25.64) per liter remains at 100 percent while the duty on value above that level is reduced to 10 percent. FAS states that this change places distilled spirits on a more equal footing with beer and wine imports, which are not subject to any duty, and is expected to mainly benefit premium distilled spirits.
Poultry from Japan
Effective Oct. 23 the USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service has imposed the following restrictions on importations from Chiba prefecture in Japan based on a determination that highly-pathogenic avian influenza exists in domestic birds in this area.
- Imports of unprocessed avian products and byproducts and certain fresh poultry products originating from or transiting this area are prohibited.
- Imports of poultry, commercial birds, ratites, and hatching eggs originating from or transiting this area are prohibited.
- Processed avian products and byproducts originating from or transiting this area, imported as cargo, must be accompanied by an APHIS import permit and/or government certification confirming that the products were treated according to APHIS requirements.
- Importation as cargo of fresh, unprocessed shell/table eggs and other egg products, void of the shell (i.e., liquid eggs, dried egg whites), originating from or transiting this area is prohibited unless the products are consigned from the port of arrival directly to an APHIS-approved breaking and pasteurization facility. An import permit and/or certificate is not required for these shipments when consigned directly to an APHIS-approved establishment.
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