Hong Kong's Customs & Excise Department has launched a publicity drive to educate the public about its new duty free allowances for tobacco and liquor which come into force on April 1.

From next Sunday, all passengers will be entitled to a duty free allowance of one litre of liquor and 60 cigarettes, 15 cigars, or 75 grammes of other manufactured tobacco. Hong Kong identity card holders will have to spend 24 hours or longer outside country to qualify for the allowance. The changes have been made to bring the allowance into line with the amounts permitted for local residents.

The changes represent a reduction in the tobacco allowance for non-Hong Kong residents from the current 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 grammes of other tobacco products. But there is a slight increase in the liquor allowance for Hong Kong residents who are now allowed a one litre bottle, whereas this was previously limited to a 750ml bottle of still wine.

Senior staff officer of the Office of Dutiable Commodities Administration, Albert Ho Shi-king, said the new measures would make enforcement easier for customs officials, although he told local media that this was not a measure aimed at mainland visitors. However, he added that extra manpower would be enlisted during the ‘golden week’ holidays to hand out information leaflets at border control points.

Last year, Hong Kong's Customs & Excise Department handled 8,387 cases of travellers who were fined for bringing in undeclared cigarettes. A total of around 2.2m cigarettes with an excise duty value of HK$1.8m ($230,370) were seized with total penalties for passengers amounting to HK$26m ($3.3m) during the year.

Ho said that an educational programme begins today targeting local residents and mainland and overseas visitors about the new changes. He said airlines, shipping companies, the KCRC and cross-boundary transport companies have been asked to show a promotional video and distribute leaflets through their passenger transport fleets.
Notices have also been arranged for display at airport duty free shops and at land and sea boundary checkpoints on the Mainland and in Macau. Promotional videos and soundtracks will be broadcast at Hong Kong International Airport, and at Lo Wu, Lok Ma Chau and Man Kam To checkpoints. He added that Customs manpower will be boosted at all checkpoints to help travellers and answer queries.