A footwear manufacturer was fined $415,000 at the Kowloon City Magistracy on November 12 for falsely declaring shoes made in the Mainland as Hong Kong products in certificate of Hong Kong origin applications.

The goods involved were 38,058 pairs of shoes worth $1.439 million, destined for export to Denmark and Canada.

Making a false statement in a certificate of origin application is a serious offence, the Customs & Excise Department said.

The maximum penalty for the offence is a fine of $500,000 and two years' imprisonment.

Customs to step up enforcement action

Customs officers will step up enforcement action to crack down on such malpractice to protect Hong Kong's commercial reputation, the department said.

It will also ensure that our trading partners' confidence in Hong Kong's certificate-of-origin system will not be undermined by dishonest business practices.