G/LIC/N/2/HKG/6
6 February 2015
(15-0810)  Page: 1/2
Committee on Import Licensing  Original: English
 
 AGREEMENT ON IMPORT LICENSING PROCEDURES 
NOTIFICATION UNDER ARTICLE 5  
HONG KONG, CHINA 
 
 The following communication, dated 5 February 2015,  is being circulated at the request of the 
delegation of Hong Kong, China. 
 
_______________ 
 
Pursuant to Article 5 of the Agreement on Import Licensing Procedures, Hong Kong, China hereby 
notifies the implementation of an automatic lice nsing system, namely the Pharmaceuticals Licence 
Application and Movement Monitoring System (PLAMMS), on 7 January 2015 for application of 
import licence for the purpose of re-exporting of pharmaceutical products and medicines which are 
not required to be registered under the Pharmacy  and Poisons Ordinance (Cap 138, the Laws of 
Hong Kong) (hereunder refers to unr egistered pharmaceutical products). 
 
(a) List of products subject to licensing procedures 
 
Pharmaceutical products and medicines as defined by section 2 of the Pharmacy and Poisons 
Ordinance (Cap 138, the Laws of Hong Kong). 
 (b) Contact point for information on eligibility  
 
Pharmaceutical Import/Export Control Unit, Drug  Office, Department of Health, 3/F Public 
Health Laboratory Centre, 382 Nam Cheong Street, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon, Hong Kong. 
 
(c) Administrative body for submission of applications 
 
See Item (b). 
 
(d) Date and name of publication where licensing procedures are published 
 
Since 7 January 2015, the change of licensing procedures has been published and available 
in the website of the Drug Office under th e Department of Health at the following: 
 
• http://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/en/do c/guidelines_forms /Trade-app-ie.pdf 
• http://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/en/do c/guidelines_forms /E-how-ie_Apr13.pdf 
• http://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/en/ doc/guidelines_forms/Form3_Eng.pdf 
• http://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/en/ doc/guidelines_forms/Form6_Eng.pdf 
• http://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/eps/do/e n/doc/guidelines_forms/ANNEX%20B%20-
%20Guidelines%20of%20Applicantion%20for%20IE%20Licence.pdf 
• https://www.drugoffice.gov.hk/PlammsInte rWeb/doc/plamms_user_ guide_for_website.p
df 
 G/LIC/N/2/HKG/6 
 
- 2 - 
 
  (e) Indication of whether the licensing procedure is automatic or non-automatic according to 
definitions contained in Articles 2 and 3 
 
Non-automatic import licensing procedure is applicable to all pharmaceutical products and 
medicines.  In order to achieve the purposes stated in (f), an automatic licensing system, 
namely PLAMMS was implemented on 7 January 2015.  The system provides an additional 
means for making application for importing unregistered pharmaceutical products and 
medicines for re-export purpose.  If an a pplicant wants to use PLAMMS, the company is 
required to become a registered user of PLAMMS and to apply for enlisting the unregistered pharmaceutical products and medicines in the system before making applications.  When an application for importing enlisted products is made, the application details will go through a 
built-in automatic evaluation check, including the validity of the applicant’s trader licence, to 
ascertain the fulfilment of the legal requirements  for the issue of the import licence.  Once 
the application is approved, the applicant can print out the licence in his/her own computer. 
 
(f) In the case of automatic import licensi ng procedures, their administrative purpose 
 
The administrative purposes of the PLAMMS are:  
 - to provide an electronic method to facilitate the applicants who have fulfilled the 
administrative requirements to apply for import licences of unregistered 
pharmaceutical products and medicines for re-export purpose; and  
- to enhance the monitoring of the import and export of unregistered pharmaceutical 
products and medicines for prevention of illegal diversion into the local market. 
 
 (g) In the case of non-automatic import licensing procedures, indication of the measure being 
implemented through the licensing procedures 
 The import licensing procedures for pharmaceutical products and medicines aims to establish a mechanism to regulate importations of such products into the Hong Kong Special 
Administrative Region.  The applicant is required to hold appropriate trader’s licence(s) 
issued by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong prior to the application for an 
import licence.  Unless otherwise stated, an import licence is valid for six months. 
 
 (h) Expected duration of the licensing procedure if this can be estimated with some probability, 
and if not, reason why this information cannot be provided 
 
The expected duration of non-automatic licensing procedure is two working days after submission of application for import licence,  subject to the availability of sufficient 
information. 
 
The expected duration of automatic licensing procedure is within the same day upon completion of inputting all the necessary application details for unregistered pharmaceutical 
products enlisted in the automatic system.  
 
__________