The Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics (HAFFA) has requested that the ban on the transport of e-cigarettes is eased due to its impact on the air cargo sector.
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Economic Development met to discuss easing the ban on the import of e-cigarettes to allow the use of sea freight if the products are being transhipped through Hong Kong.
HAFFA called for road freight to also be allowed to be used for the transhipments, as there was not enough sea capacity to meet demand.
HAFFA chairman Gary Lau said: “The government mentioned at the meeting that the authorities intend to first ship e-cigarette products from the Hong Kong International Airport Logistics Park in Dongguan to Hong Kong International Airport via the Sea-Air Transshipment Facilitation Scheme, and then export them overseas.
“The overall shipping capacity under this Sea-Air Transshipment Facilitation scheme is only about 4-5% of the demand for electronic cigarette products which is a drop in the ocean.”