Latest news with #HongKongCustoms
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong customs seizes HK$28 million of undeclared cargo on Macau-bound ship
Hong Kong Customs has intercepted a cargo vessel bound for Macau, uncovering HK$28 million (US$3.575 million) worth of undeclared items, including dried shark fins and alternative smoking products. Patrolling officers intercepted the river trade vessel southwest of Hong Kong, near the waters off Fan Lau on Lantau on May 9, and found the poorly documented cargo, inspector Ivan Chan King-fung of the customs marine enforcement division said on Thursday. Following the interception, customs officials escorted the vessel to the department's marine base in Tuen Mun for a thorough search. Authorities discovered a significant quantity of unregistered goods within the cargo hold, including suspected scheduled dried shark fins and seafood, cosmetic injection vials, electronic products such as gimbal stabilizers and various alternative smoking products, such as e-cigarettes. Investigators also found that the tobacco products were packed inside boxes labelled with well-known nappy brands, a tactic likely used to evade detection. While nine local crew members were on board at the time, no arrests have yet been made.
South China Morning Post
22-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong beauty centre closure sparks probe into HK$200,000 of prepaid packages
Hong Kong Customs and a consumer watchdog are investigating 22 complaints involving HK$200,000 (US$25,770) in prepaid packages following the abrupt closure of a beauty centre in Fanling, a lawmaker assisting victims has said. Advertisement Athena Beauty, located in Cheung Wah Estate in Fanling, was also accused of transferring customers' information without consent to Classic Life, a beauty salon in Tai Po, which allegedly claimed to honour the prepayments and then employed high-pressure sales tactics. Lawmaker Edward Lau Kwok-fan on Tuesday said that his team had received at least 22 complaints involving over HK$200,000 in prepaid packages since the beauty centre abruptly closed on March 16. Individual victims reported losses ranging between HK$10,000 and HK$20,000. During a press conference with three victims, Lau estimated that more than 100 people, primarily elderly women, had been affected. 'Athena Beauty informed customers of its closure due to lease issues via WhatsApp messages on the day when it folded. But in the week leading up to the closure, it was still persuading customers to purchase treatment packages,' Lau said. Advertisement 'Some customers later found out that Athena Beauty had not disclosed having a branch in Ma On Shan. Instead, the company transferred their personal information and remaining prepaid packages to Classic Life. This is a separate company that employed high-pressure sales tactics when customers attempted to redeem their treatments.' A victim, who only identified herself as Apple, 55, said she tried to use her package bought from Athena Beauty at Classic Life, which later imposed harsh conditions, including unreasonably expensive new treatment prepaid plans.
Reuters
08-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Hong Kong customs seize antimony amid China's export controls
HONG KONG, April 8 (Reuters) - Hong Kong customs seized suspected antimony ingots, customs said in a statement dated April 2, a move that comes after China, the world's biggest producer of the metal, imposed export controls on shipments in September. The 25,171.85 kg of antimony was found on March 13 inside a 40-foot outbound container at the city's cargo compound in the north of Hong Kong, near the mainland border, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department said, without giving a specific reason for the seizure. China exported about 3.9 million kg of wrought and unwrought antimony last year, however shipments of these products have all but stopped since the controls were imposed in September. The only export which shows up in Chinese customs data is a 20,000-kg shipment to Japan in January. Hong Kong Customs did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Antimony is a shiny grey metalloid known since ancient times when it was used in medicine and cosmetics. It has become increasingly strategic because of its use in military equipment, such as infrared missiles, nuclear weapons and night vision goggles, and as a hardening agent for bullets and tanks. The biggest application today is as a flame retardant, which accounted for around half of global usage in 2023, according to brokerage CICC. China's export controls have fuelled a surge in global prices for the strategic metal. Producing almost half of global supply in 2023, China's restrictions have upended supply chains for antimony, which is also used in semiconductors, solar power equipment and munitions. China accounted for 48% of antimony mine production in 2023, followed by Tajikistan at 25%, according to data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
