. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION   
G/TBT/N/HKG/43 
2 November 2012  
 (12-6037) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member:  HONG KONG, CHINA  
If applicable, name of local governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:   
Family Health Service, Department of Health 
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 
Room 1308, 13/F, Guardian House, 
32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong Fax:  +852 2574 8977 Email: hkcode@dh.gov.hk  
Website:  http://www.fhs.gov.hk  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above :    
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [   ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  Voluntary labelling 
guideline.  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Infant formula, follow-up 
formula, feeding bottles, teats, pacifiers a nd food products for infa nt and young children 
(0-36 months). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Hong Kong Code of 
Marketing and Quality of Formula Milk and Related Products, and F ood Products for Infants 
and Young Children ("the HK Code") (41 pages in English, and 31 pages in Chinese).  
6. Description of content:  The HK Code is voluntary in nature. It provides guidelines on 
marketing (including  labelling) and quality of infant fo rmula, follow-up formula, feeding 
bottles, teats, pacifier s and food products for infant and young children to manufacturers and 
distributors, health work ers and health facilities. G/TBT/N/HKG/43 
Page 2  
 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
The HK Code aims to contribute to the protecti on of breastfeeding and provision of safe and 
adequate nutrition for infants and young children by: 
(a) protecting breastfeeding and; (b) ensuring the proper use of formula milk , formula milk related products, and food 
products for infants and young children up to the age of 36 months, on the basis of 
adequate and unbiased information and through appropriate marketing. 
8. Relevant documents:   International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes 
(International Code) adopted by the WHO in 1981 and subsequent World Health Assembly 
(WHA) resolutions. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    Second quarter 2013 (tentatively) 
Fourth quarter 20 13 (tentatively) 
10. Final date for comments:  31 December 2012 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [  ], or address, telephone and fax numbers, 
e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:    
Family Health Service, Department of Health 
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Room 1308, l31F, Guardian House, 32 Oi Kwan Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong 
Fax:  +852 2574 8977 
Email:  hkcode@dh.gov.hk  
Website:  http://www.fhs.gov.hk  
Relevant document is uploaded to the following link: 
http://www.fhs.gov.hk/englis h/adhoc/hkcode/hkcode.html