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Export Requirements for Hong Kong

HK-56 (Sep 23, 2008)

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Go to Poultry Requirements*

Red Meat Export Requirements for Hong Kong

Eligible/Ineligible Products
  1. Eligible product
    1. Fresh/frozen red meat and red meat products, including fresh/frozen boneless beef, dry aged boneless beef, and further processed boneless beef derived from cattle less than 30 months of age. Eligible boneless beef must be produced under an approved AMS Export Verification (EV) program for beef to Hong Kong. Information about the EV program for Hong Kong and a list of BEV approved establishments can be obtained from AMS' Web site. Requirements for the use of dedicated equipment are part of the EV program for Hong Kong and can be obtained from the AMS website.  Eligible product must be derived from cattle slaughtered on or after the approval date on the AMS list.

      If FSIS inspection personnel become aware of concerns that an AMS approved EV establishment is not properly executing its EV program, export certification should not be issued for the product in question and AMS should be notified at ARCBranch@usda.gov. Inspection personnel should include their immediate supervisor on messages to AMS. The following information should be included in the message:
      • Establishment name, address, and establishment number
      • Product type, product code, and quantity of product
      • Date of production, lot number, and shift
      • Date and nature of observation
      • Name of country product is intended for export
      • Export certificate number (if applicable)
      • Any other information to verify claim
      • Name of inspection official
    2. Hong Kong maintains a zero tolerance for bones and bone fragments in beef and beef products.
  2. Ineligible product
    1. Bone-in beef, ground beef, beef trimmings, other boneless beef from skeletal muscle indistinguishable from beef trimmings, beef diaphragm and tenders, beef cheek and head meat, beef offal, and beef derived from advanced meat recovery systems.

Labeling Requirements
  1. Prepackaged product - Hong Kong defines "prepackaged product" as any food packaged in such a way that the contents cannot be altered without opening or changing packaging, and the food is ready for presentation to the ultimate consumer or a catering establishment as a single food item.
    1. All labeling may be in English or Chinese or in both languages. If both English and Chinese languages are used, the product name and list of ingredients shall appear in both languages.
    2. Prepackaged meat, including frozen product with greater than 18 months expected shelf life, shall be labeled as follows:
      1. a "best before" date (in Chinese and English), or
      2. in the case of highly perishable product where a human health hazard develops after a short period, a "use by" date (in Chinese and English).
        1. The date shall be shown either in Arabic numerals or in both Chinese and English. It shall be expressed in terms of day, month and year, in that order.
        2. In the case of food which can reasonably be expected to retain its specific properties for not more than three (3) months, the date may be expressed in terms of a day and month, in that order.
        3. In the case of a food which can reasonably be expected to retain its specific properties for more than three (3) but not more than eighteen (18) months, the date may be expressed in terms of a month and a year, in that order, and preceded by the word "end".
    3. Any special conditions or instructions for use of a product shall be legibly marked or identified on the label.
    4. Prepackaged product shall be marked or labeled with the full name and address of the manufacturer or packer except in the following situations:
      1. The package is marked with an indication of the country of origin and the name of the distributor or brand owner in Hong Kong, and the full address of the manufacturer has been given in writing to the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene in Hong Kong.
      2. The package is marked or labeled with an indication of the country of origin and a code marking which identifies the manufacturer or packer in that country. An explanation of the code marking and the manufacturer or packer to which it relates has been given in writing to the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene in Hong Kong.
    5. The package is to be clearly marked or labeled with the numerical count, or with the net weight or net volume expressed in metric or imperial units.
    6. A handling statement recommending storage at 0°F or -18°C is required for frozen product.
    7. Exemption - Prepackaged foods in a container with a surface area of less than 10 square cm are not required to meet requirements for a list of ingredients, special instructions for storage or use, or full name and address of manufacturer or packer.
  2. Tenderized meat shall be clearly and legibly marked with the words "TENDERIZED" in capital letters and must be written in English and Chinese.

Documentation Requirements
  1. Fresh/Frozen red meat and red meat products except boneless beef.
    1. Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5 (05/06/1999) Meat and Poultry Certificate of Wholesomeness.
      1. Use of the terminology "miscellaneous meat products" is unacceptable on FSIS Form 9060-5.
  2. Boneless beef and beef products.
    1. The export applicant must provide information about the consignment that includes specific product identification information, production date, number of boxes, manufacturer, and the statement, "The product was produced under a Beef Export Verification (BEV) program that was audited and approved by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
    2. Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5, Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness.
    3. FSIS Form 9297-1 (02/15/2006), Export Certificate of Wholesomeness for Beef, is required.
      1. The following information must be provided in the Remarks section of FSIS Form 9297-1:
        1. Slaughter dates in month/day/year format. Date ranges are acceptable.
        2. Processing dates in month/day/year format. Date ranges area acceptable.
      2. FSIS Form 9297-1 must be accurately completed. Errors such as incorrect establishment numbers, names and addresses of establishments may result in delayed or denied entry. In addition, the establishment number, name and address must agree with the information published on the AMS website. Also, if the product was certified at a slaughter/cutting plant, then both "slaughtering plant" and "processing plant" blocks must be checked in the section entitled "Product Exported From". The Government of Hong Kong is checking accompanying export certificates very closely and errors of this nature may result in delayed or denied entry.
      3. Additional certification statements in the Remarks section of FSIS Form 9060-5 and 9297-1 are prohibited. The only information that can be entered in the Remarks section is that information indicated in the country requirements.
    4. Obtain an FSIS letterhead certificate with the statements indicated below. Product arriving at Hong Kong ports of entry on or after March 10th will not be allowed entry if the shipment is not accompanied by this letterhead certificate.
      1. The boneless bovine meat and meat products are derived from cattle of less than 30 months of age.
      2. The feeding of ruminants with meat and bone meal and greaves derived from ruminants has been banned and the ban has been effectively enforced.
      3. Antemortem inspection is carried out on all bovines.
      4. Cattle from which the meat or meat products originate were not subjected to a stunning process, prior to slaughter, with a device injecting compressed air or gas into the cranial cavity or to a pithing process.
      5. The following material was hygienically removed from bovine meat and meat product prepared for Hong Kong: skull, including brain, eyes and trigeminal ganglia, tonsils, spinal cord, dorsal root ganglia (with the vertebral column) and intestine (pylorus to rectum).
      6. The boneless bovine meat and meat products do not include diaphragm, cheek and head meat, any trimmings, any mechanically separated meat or product from advanced meat recovery systems.
      7. Product meets EV Program Requirements for Hong Kong.
  3. Horsemeat - Obtain FSIS Form 9060-10 (7/90), horsemeat certificate. The following statement must be entered on the FSIS Form 9060-10 or on an FSIS letterhead certificate:

    "All necessary precautions for preventing danger to public health were taken during meat dressing, preparing, and packing."

    Note: For importation of horsemeat, an application is submitted to and is approved by the Director, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong. The importer is responsible for this approval.
  4. Hong Kong requires that the state of refrigeration at the time of certification be indicated in the "PRODUCT AS LABELED" block of FSIS Form 9060-5. For example, a product labeled as "pork tongues" must be entered as "frozen pork tongues" when the product is shipped frozen. The term frozen may be entered in the block if the product is frozen at the time of export inspection even if "frozen" is not part of the product name. Should fresh product be shipped, (e.g. air shipment) the term "chilled" would be used.
  5. All FSIS certificates must include the species under product description.
  6. All FSIS certificates must be dated and bear the signature and title of an FSIS veterinarian.

Other Requirements

Products may be subjected to laboratory examination, as the Hong Kong officials reserve the right to sample for microbiological examination and refuse entry to unsatisfactory product.

Plants Eligible to Export

All Federally inspected establishments are eligible to export meat and meat products other than boneless beef to Hong Kong.

Federally inspected establishments producing fresh/frozen boneless beef intended for export to Hong Kong must participate in an AMS, BEV program and be present on the "Official Listing of Eligible Suppliers for USDA Bovine EV Program". The list can be accessed at http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/arc/bev.htm. The beef must be derived from cattle slaughtered on or after the approval date on the AMS list.

Poultry Export Requirements for Hong Kong

Eligible/Ineligible Product
  1. Eligible
    1. Poultry and poultry products with the exception of poultry products indicated in Section B.
    2. Poultry feet/paws with production dates on or after April 30, 2005, must bear the U.S. inspection legend to be eligible for export to Hong Kong.
  2. Ineligible
    1. Poultry feet/paws produced according to the Hong Kong standard with production dates on or after April 30, 2005, are not eligible for export to Hong Kong.
    2. The restriction on raw poultry derived from birds raised or processed in Pendleton County, West Virginia, has been removed effective September 7, 2007. Poultry from birds slaughtered on or after September 7 is eligible.
    3. The restriction on raw poultry derived from birds raised or processed in Shenandoah County, Virginia, has been removed effective November 19, 2007. Poultry from birds slaughtered on or after November 19 is eligible.
    4. The restriction on raw poultry derived from birds raised or processed in Seward County, Nebraska, has been removed effective November 27, 2007. Poultry from birds slaughtered on or after November 27 is eligible.
    5. The restriction on raw poultry derived from birds raised or processed in Washington Country, Arkansas, has been removed effective September 22, 2008. Poultry from birds slaughtered on or after September 22 is eligible.*
    6. Poultry and poultry products derived from birds raised or processed in Peyette County in Idaho on or after September 5, 2008, are not eligible for export to Hong Kong. Poultry and poultry products derived from birds raised or processed in Peyette County in Idaho, before September 5, 2008 are eligible.

Labeling Requirements
  1. Prepackaged product - Hong Kong defines "prepackaged product" as any food packaged in such a way that the contents cannot be altered without opening or changing packaging, and the food is ready for presentation to the ultimate consumer or a catering establishment as a single food item.
    1. All labeling may be in English or Chinese or in both languages. If both English and Chinese languages are used, the product name and list of ingredients shall appear in both languages.
    2. Prepackaged food, including deep frozen product with greater than 18 months expected shelf life, shall be marked or labeled with the appropriate durability indication as follows:
      1. a "best before" date (in Chinese and English), or
      2. in the case of highly perishable product where a human health hazard develops after a short period, a "use by" date (in Chinese and English).
        1. The date shall be shown either in Arabic numerals or in both Chinese and English. It shall be expressed in terms of day, month and year, in that order.
        2. In the case of food which can reasonably be expected to retain its specific properties for not more than three (3) months, the date may be expressed in terms of a day and month, in that order.
        3. In the case of a food which can reasonably be expected to retain its specific properties for more than three (3) but not more than eighteen (18) months, the date may be expressed in terms of a month and a year, in that order, and preceded by the word "end".
    3. Any special conditions or instructions for use of a product shall be legibly marked or identified on the label.
    4. Prepackaged product shall be marked or labeled with the full name and address of the manufacturer or packer except in the following situations:
      1. The package is marked with an indication of the country of origin and the name of the distributor or brand owner in Hong Kong, and the full address of the manufacturer has been given in writing to the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong.
      2. The package is marked or labeled with an indication of the country of origin and a code marking which identifies the manufacturer or packer. An explanation of the code marking and the manufacturer or packer to which it relates has been given in writing to the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong.
    5. The package is to be clearly marked or labeled with the numerical count, or with the net weight or net volume expressed in metric or imperial units.
    6. A handling statement recommending storage at 0°F or -18°C is required for frozen product.
    7. Exemption - Prepackaged foods in a container with a surface area of less than 10 square cm are not required to meet requirements for a list of ingredients, special instructions for storage or use, or full name and address of manufacturer or packer.

Documentation Requirements
  1. Uncooked poultry and poultry - Obtain FSIS 9060-5 (05/06/1999), Meat and Poultry Certificate of Wholesomeness, and an FSIS letterhead certificate with the following additional statements:*
    1. The meat was derived from birds found clinically free from generalized contagious, infectious and parasitic diseases.
    2. The meat was derived from birds that were free from clinical signs of avian influenza (AI) and Newcastle disease (ND). The birds have been kept on farms free from AI and ND and not situated in an AI or ND infected zone, as defined by OIE. The birds were slaughtered in an establishment not situated in AI or ND infected zone and were found to be healthy upon ante- and postmortem inspection.
    3. The birds, from which the meat was derived, were subject to ante- and postmortem veterinary inspection by an official veterinarian and the meat was found to be sound, wholesome and fit for human consumption.
    4. The birds were slaughtered, processed, cut and stored in establishments approved by USDA/FSIS and are eligible to produce and store poultry meat for domestic and international commerce.
    5. The birds have been slaughtered and processed hygienically and the meat complies with all current USDA laws and regulations.
    6. The poultry meat was packed and transported under hygienic conditions.
    7. The poultry meat has been produced subject to the U.S. National Residue Program. The results of the tests have not provided any evidence of the presence of chemical/drug residues or toxic substances which could be harmful to human health.
    8. The consignment of poultry meat was derived from live poultry which had been subjected to ante- and postmortem inspection and were found free of highly pathogenic avian influenza.
    9. Poultry and poultry products are not derived from birds raised or processed in Peyette County in Idaho on or after Septmeber 5, 2008.

    In addition, slaughter dates in month/year format must be included in the Remarks section of FSIS 9060-5.   Date ranges are acceptable.
  2. Fully cooked poultry and poultry products - Obtain FSIS 9060-5 (05/06/1999), Meat and Poultry Certificate of Wholesomeness.
  3. Ostrich meat - Obtain FSIS Form 9060-5 (05/06/1999), Meat and Poultry Certificate of Wholesomeness. Exporters must present the scientific name of the bird to show that it is not from endangered species along with certification from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and FSIS Form 9060-5 to the Hong Kong Department of Food and Environmental Hygiene for import approval.
  4. Hong Kong requires that the state of refrigeration at the time of certification be indicated in the "PRODUCT AS LABELED" block of FSIS Form 9060-5. For example, a product labeled as "chicken leg quarters" must be entered as "frozen chicken leg quarters" when the product is shipped frozen. The term frozen may be entered in the block if the product is frozen at the time of export inspection even if "frozen" is not part of the product name. Should fresh product be shipped, (e.g. air shipment) the term "chilled" would be used.
  5. All FSIS certificates must include the species under product description.
  6. All FSIS Form 9060-5 certificates must be dated and have the signature and title of an FSIS veterinarian.

Other Requirements
  1. Products may be subjected to laboratory examination, as the Hong Kong officials reserve the right to sample for microbiological examination and refuse entry to unsatisfactory product.
  2. Hermetically sealed (canned) chicken broth - Hong Kong does not require health certification (FSIS Form 9060-5) for this product. Caution: Exporters should be aware that the product will not be able to move into any other country that requires export certification if the documents are not issued prior to leaving the U.S.

Plants Eligible to Export

All Federally inspected establishments are eligible for export of poultry products to Hong Kong.

HK-56 (Sep 23, 2008)