Everything You Need to Know About Shipping to Hong Kong
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Hong Kong is considered one of the top global financial centres in the world, and one of the most developed cities in the world. This Special Administrative Region of China is a busy commercial port as one of the largest importers and exporters in the world. View our comprehensive guide on sending parcels to this popular destination in East Asia; including information on size guides, shipping times, address labelling, costs, and more.
What's the Cheapest Way to Send a Parcel to Hong Kong?
ParcelBroker provides some of the highest quality and cheapest methods to send parcels to Hong Kong, with fully tracked courier options such as TNT, which could cost as little as £29.48 for a 0.5kg package on our TNT: Express service.
Your package could arrive in Hong Kong in as little as 2 business days, but time frames, like weight and dimensions of your parcel are all factors that will impact shipping costs. Below we have provided further information, and you can also use our shipping calculator for live delivery quotes.
Package Weight
Shipping rates will naturally increase with the weight and size of your packages, with smaller packages usually being cheaper to send and arriving earlier than those with larger dimensions or weight. If there is a delivery deadline for the item you are sending, then it is important you factor these stipulations in when providing a delivery date to the recipient.
You can ship items up to 50kg in weight via Parcelforce, DHL, FedEx, and UPS at favourable rates with ParcelBroker, your trusted courier comparison service. Use our handy shipping calculator to gain up-to-date delivery prices by adding your package’s weight, dimensions, and quantity of items.
Package Dimensions
Your package’s dimensions will also determine which courier service you can use to send your package to Hong Kong. If you are sending multiple items, it may be cheaper to combine your items into a single pallet for easier delivery.
Most express parcel couriers can carry large or long parcels but many will apply handling surcharges if the goods are oversized. Length surcharges usually begin once the packages exceed 1m or 1.2m in length. Therefore, it can save money if you're able to keep the length under these limits. If your package is close to the limits, it's advisable to take photographic evidence prior to shipping the parcel in case there is an audit dispute.
Can I Send a Pallet to Hong Kong?
Sending a pallet to Hong Kong is easy, thanks to ParcelBroker’s PB: Express Pallet, DHL Express and TNT International services. You can get an instant quote for your pallet delivery to Hong Kong by using our pallet delivery calculator here.
Pallet deliveries are a cost-effective way to send large, heavy, or multiple packages that are intended for the same destination.
Simply order your pallet online or buy one from your local pallet supplier. You’ll then need to pack your items onto the pallet and secure it with pallet/shrink wrapping. Your local supplier can provide you with the necessary materials to secure your package effectively.
How to Package Your Pallet
It is important to ensure that your pallets are assembled in a way that allows them to be stacked onto one another. This will help to reduce the cost of sending your pallet to Hong Kong, as ‘non-stackable’ pallets that cannot be combined with others will be subject to additional charges.
We have included visual guidance below on how to properly arrange your pallet. Adhering to this guidance will reduce the chances of any additional handling charges or damages.
Don't overhang the pallet
Secure goods to the pallet base
Use internal protection
If non-stackable, use signage and cones
Ensure the top is level and flat if stackable
Make irregular shaped items stackable
Damaged boxes or fragile items will be non-stackable
Loose items should be crated for transport
Same-Day Pickup and Local Drop-Off
If you're sending a parcel, most carriers can collect your shipment the same day if booked before noon, or accept packages at one of their local drop off points. Palletised freight usually needs to have a collection planned in advance to ensure the correct vehicle can be assigned and that space is pre-booked for your pallet/s. If you do need to drop off a pallet, this will have to be to a local depot rather than a drop off point due to space restrictions.
The time frame of your delivery will also affect the cost of shipping to Hong Kong, so keep this in mind before you guarantee shipping costs and timeframes to the recipient. You can easily compare our live prices for express delivery options below:
| UPS | FedEx | DHL | DSV | Parcelforce | TNT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5kg | £48.10 | £58.42 | £38.06 | £29.91 | £40.32 | £29.48 |
| 1kg | £52.88 | £60.58 | £43.21 | £32.88 | £44.00 | £32.81 |
| 5kg | £104.44 | £98.38 | £76.59 | £62.36 | £76.27 | £81.25 |
| 10kg | £153.61 | £163.79 | £131.35 | £100.83 | £113.11 | £128.47 |
| 15kg | £201.36 | £249.82 | £176.04 | £134.85 | £140.59 | £167.07 |
| 20kg | £249.13 | £313.16 | £220.70 | £169.05 | £171.89 | £205.77 |
| 25kg | £303.42 | £403.05 | £264.02 | £206.54 | £ | £244.59 |
Prices as of April 23, 2024
How Long Does it Take to Deliver to Hong Kong?
Your parcel can arrive in Hong Kong in as quickly as 2 business days. You can also reduce your delivery time by utilising a number of local drop-off points, or you can arrange a collection straight from your door.
How to Address my Parcel Before Shipping to Hong Kong?
It is important that you correctly address your package before collection or drop-off at your local postal depot, ensuring that your label is free of spelling errors and correctly formatted.
Below we have included guidance on how to correctly format an address label for Hong Kong:
- Write the name of the addressee on the top line
- The flat and floor numbers should be included on the second line
- The name of the building should be included on the third
- The building number and name of the street should be written on the fourth line
- The village name, town, or district should be capitalised on the fifth line
- HONG KONG, KOWLOON, or NEW TERRITORIES should be the bottom line of the address
In this example, the addressee lives in flat 32, on floor 17B, in the Mai Shun Building at 13-25 Kwai Cheung Road, in the province of Kowloon.
Jason Leung
Flat 32, 17B
Mai Shun Building
13-25 Kwai Cheung Rd.
Kwai Chung
KOWLOON
Hong Kong Territorial Provinces
|
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||
| Kowloon | KOWLOON |
Hong Kong Customs Procedures
Hong Kong has an extremely transparent and competitive open market, and plays a vital role in allowing UK businesses to connect with mainland China and other Asian countries. As a result of the government’s commitment to maintaining free market principles, regulations on exports and imports are relatively relaxed compared to many other countries, and Hong Kong does not impose customs tariffs on imports and exports.
VAT on Exports to Hong Kong
If you are registered for VAT in the UK, you may be able to take advantage of zero-rates on goods exported to Hong Kong, provided your items meet certain conditions.
Taxes on Exports to Hong Kong
Hong Kong does not impose any sales tax on imported goods, and has one of the lowest tax rates in the world. The only exceptions to the tax-free rule are ‘dutiable’ goods such as alcohol, tobacco, and hydrocarbon oil.
What Can and Can't I send to Hong Kong?
A number of items fall under the ‘Controlled Imports’ category, and there are specific rules and regulations regarding each item on this list. These items are not necessarily prohibited from being sent into Hong Kong, but there are specific requirements and restrictions placed on each individual item. For detailed information on these items, please consult the Hong Kong government website.
Items you Can’t Ship to Hong Kong that May Surprise You
- Unworked diamonds
- Mobile phones
- Sand (unless it’s imported from China)
- Animals or consumer goods that are made from animals
- Radio equipment
CONTROLLED IMPORTS
- Live animals
- Plants and plant pests
- Endangered animals and plants
- Animal carcasses and products
- Controlled chemicals
- Dangerous drugs
- Dutiable commodities
- Explosives
- Firearms and ammunition
- Food
- Infectious goods
- Motor vehicles
- Optical disc mastering and replication equipment
- Ozone depleting substances
- Chinese herbal medicines and proprietary Chinese medicines
- Pesticides
- Pharmaceutical products and medicines
- Prescribed articles
- Radioactive substances and irradiating apparatus
- Radio transmitting equipment
- Rice, frozen, or chilled meat and poultry
- Game, meat, poultry, and eggs
- Smokeless tobacco products
- Strategic commodities
- Rough diamonds
- Waste
- Hazardous chemicals
- Weapons
- Toothfish items
- Mercury
- Alternative smoking products
- Sand
What are Hong Kong’s Top Imports?
Hong Kong predominantly imports machinery and transport equipment, with the top imports according to the OEC being;
- Integrated Circuits
- Broadcasting Equipment
- Office Machine Parts
- Gold
- Telephones
However, Hong Kong was also one of the top exporters of Gold, Broadcasting Equipment, Gas Turbines, Integrated Circuits and Telephones to China, the UK, and India. So it’s a particularly strong trading partner to have if you’re looking for a country to globalise your business import and exports. Particularly in relation to its ties with China, the US and Europe.
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