Changes to the Import & Export Regulations will come into effect on February 4, to relax control over certain personal area network equipment devices such as wireless routers and printers.

Under the Import & Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2009, control over certain wireless personal area network equipment devices with published or commercial cryptographic standard will be removed, as will controls on certain field programmable logic devices, including high-technology integrated circuits with memory function.

The move will update Hong Kong's strategic commodities control list to reflect the latest revisions adopted in the strategic commodities control lists of relevant international non-proliferation regimes, including the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Missile Technology Control Regime.

Hong Kong closely follows the control thresholds the international non-proliferation regimes adopt, to ensure it upholds controls to the highest international standards, while relieving traders from licensing requirements when international standards are relaxed.

Under Hong Kong's legislative framework, the Director-General of Trade & Industry has licensing control over the import and export of strategic commodities. This helps maintain technology-supplying countries' confidence in our control system, ensuring Hong Kong's continued access to high-technology.

Questions? Call the Trade & Industry Department's Strategic Trade Controls Branch at 2398 5587, or send an email to stc@tid.gov.hk.