Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes
An incoming female passenger was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and fined $1,500 at the Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (January 15) for possessing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).
Customs officers intercepted the incoming 41-year-old female passenger by the Lo Wu Control Point yesterday (January 14) and seized 5 181 duty-not-paid cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $21,000 and a duty potential of about $17,000 from her personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.
Customs welcomes the sentence, noting that even a first-time offender may still be imprisoned. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences. Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, tobacco products are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.
Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for possession of duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade in November 2025
Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for November 2025 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (January 15) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.
The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD), Photo source: reference image
In November 2025, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 15.4% and 15.1% respectively over November 2024.
Comparing the first 11 months of 2025 with the same period in 2024, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 12.0% and 11.6% respectively.
Comparing the three-month period ending November 2025 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 0.3% and 2.0% respectively.
Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.
Comparing November 2025 with November 2024, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods both increased by 3.0%.
As regards price changes in the first 11 months of 2025 over the same period in 2024, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods both increased by 2.1%.
Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.
The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2024, the index remained virtually unchanged in both November 2025 and the first 11 months of 2025.
Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.
Comparing November 2025 with November 2024, increases were recorded for the total export volume to all main destinations: Vietnam (49.0%), the USA (43.8%), Taiwan (37.8%), Chinese Mainland (the Mainland) (12.9%) and India (2.7%).
Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to all main destinations increased: Taiwan (5.2%), India (4.9%), the Mainland (3.0%), Vietnam (2.7%) and the USA (1.7%).
Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.
Comparing November 2025 with November 2024, increases were recorded for the import volume from Vietnam (92.6%) and the Mainland (22.9%). On the other hand, the import volume from Taiwan (-0.4%), Singapore (-3.8%) and Korea (-10.2%) decreased.
Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Singapore (5.3%), Taiwan (4.2%), Vietnam (3.6%), Korea (3.3%) and the Mainland (2.2%).
Further information
Details of the above statistics are published in the November 2025 issue of "Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers". Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).
Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4918).
Source: AI-found images
