G/LIC/N/3/MAC/21  
 
21 August 2018  
(18-5280) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Import Licensing  Original: English  
 
 
 REPLIES TO QUESTIONN AIRE ON IMPORT LICEN SING PROCEDURES1 
NOTIFICATION UNDER A RTICLE 7.3  
OF THE  AGREEMENT ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES  (2018) 
MACAO, CHINA 
The following communication, dated 14 August 2018 , is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Macao, China.  
 
_______________  
 
 
Macao, China’s import licensing regime, as notified in document G/LIC/N/3/MAC/20, has not been 
modified and still remains valid for 2018, except for the changes introduced with regard to 
paragraphs 2.1 and 9 u nder Section 1.1 (Live Animals, Meat, Animal Products, Fish, Crustaceans 
and Molluscs, Vegetables, live plants and mushroom spawn) of Part 1 (Civic and Municipal Affairs 
Bureau), paragraphs 1, 2, 5, 12 and 18 under Section 3.3 (Endangered Species of Animal s and 
Plants) of Part 3 (Macao Economic Bureau) and paragraphs 2.1 and 3.2 under ANNEX A -I 
Importation procedures for Group I as follows:  
 
1  CIVIC AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS BUREAU  
1.1  Live Animals, Meat, Animal Products, Fish, Crustaceans and Molluscs, Vegetables, 
Live Plants and Mushroom Spawn  
Purpose and Coverage of Licensing  
2.1 List of commodity sections and chapters of the Nomenclature for the External Trade of 
Macao/Harmonized System:  
 
- Live animals, Chapter 1.  
- Meat and edible offal (fresh, chilled, frozen o r prepared), Chapter 2.  
- Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, Chapter 3.  
- Dairy products, edible products of animal origin, Chapter 4.  
- Guts, bladders and stomachs of animals (other than fish), whole and pieces thereof, fresh,  
chilled, frozen, salted, in brine, dried or smoked, animal products not elsewhere specified, 
Chapter  5. 
- Live trees and other plants, bulbs, roots and the like; cut flowers and ornamental foliage, 
Chapter 6.  
- Edible vegetables, fruits, nuts and certain roots and tubers, Chapters 7 and 8.  
- Seeds, fruit and spores, of a kind used for sowing, Chapter 12.  
- Prepared edible animal fat, Chapter 15.  
- Preparations of meat, of fish or of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, 
Chapter 16.  
- Formula milk powder, Chapter 19.  
- Ice cream and other edible ice, Chapter 21.  
- Dog or cat food, put up for retail sale, Chapter 23.  
- Animal for circuses, Chapter 95.  
                                                
1 See document G/LIC/3, Annex for Questionnaire  G/LIC/N/3/MAC/21  
 
- 2 - 
 
  - Animal or vegetable fertilisers, whether or not mixed together or chemically treated;  
fertilisers produced by the mixing or chemical treatment of animal or vegetable products 
(The Nomenclature for the External Trade of Macao (NCEM) Code: 3101.00.00) . 
 
Eligibility of Importers to Apply for License  
9.  All persons, firms and institutions, co mplying with Article 11 of Law no. 7/2003, amended by 
Law no. 3/2016, are eligible to apply.  
 
3  CIVIC AND MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS BUREAU  
3.3 Live Animals, Meat, Animal Products, Fish, Crustaceans and Molluscs, Vegetables, 
Live Plants and Mushroom Spawn  
Outline of System  
1. An import license is required for the import of specimens of endangered species of animals and 
plants (whether alive or dead), their body parts and derivatives.  Import controls are governed by 
Law no. 2/2017 and Administrative Regulation no. 19/2017, and are administered by the Macao 
Economic Bureau.  
 
Purposes and Coverage of Licensing  
2. This licensing system covers all specimens listed in Appendices I, II and III of the Convention 
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna a nd Flora (CITES).  For imports of 
animals and plants specified in the CITES Appendices I, II and III, CITES certificates or relevant 
export licenses issued by exporting countries or territories are required.  On the other hand, for 
specimens of species lis ted in CITES Appendix III imported directly from countries other than the 
listing  countries, certificates of origin issued by exporting countries or territories could be accepted 
in lieu.  
 
5. Licensing of the above -mentioned specimens is a statutory requir ement maintained under Law 
no. 2/ 2017 and Administrative Regulation no. 19/2017. Legislation does not leave their 
designation to be subject to licensing to administrative discretion.  Legislative approval is required 
before any changes could be made to the  existing system.  
 
Documentational and Other Requirements for License Application  
12. A fee of 70 Patacas is levied on each CITES certificate issued under the Chief Executive 
Decision no. 212/2017.  
 
Other Procedural Requirements  
18. For the import of medicines comprising ingredients of specimens covered in CITES, opinions of 
the Health Bureau are required to be submitted with the license application form.  For the import 
of specimens listed in the CITES appendices, quarantine approval by IACM is requir ed upon 
importation.  
 
Macao, China also wishes to inform the Committee on Import Licensing that all references to 
“Macao Economic Services” in the document G/LIC/N/3/MAC/20 should be replaced by “Macao 
Economic Bureau”.  
 
__________