Logistics industry calls for further transparency in trade negotiations

ExCo spokesperson Leong Heng Teng

The Executive Council (ExCo) has finished discussing the amendment to the Foreign Trade Law regarding the temporary importation of goods. The local logistics industry believes that the measure can further bring Macau in line with international practice. However, it suggested that the MSAR government should put more effort into negotiating trade facilitation with mainland authorities and be more transparent in disclosing the negotiation process.
ExCo spokesperson Leong Heng Teng explained in a press conference on Friday that the amendment seeks to facilitate external trade and foster the development of the meeting, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions (MICE) industry. “The development of the MICE industry is crucial [for Macau] and it has contributed to the surge of goods that are temporarily imported into Macau. Therefore, the [amendment] will include the importation activities with ATA Carnet into the foreign trading legislation regime. Through this measure, we hope to integrate different administrative procedures regarding temporary importation that mainly concern the MICE industry and thus help the growth of the industry,” he said.
Moreover, the amendment will introduce the “customs clearance prior to declaration” option, allowing the logistics industry, especially those who employ container trucks to transport their goods, to have a simpler customs clearance procedure. The legislation will come into effect 30 days after the announcement.
The ATA Carnet is an international customs document that allows goods to be temporarily imported or exported tax-free and duty-free.
Dr Victor Lei, president of the International Logistics and Forwarding Association of Macau welcomes the announcement. He told the Times the measure will be beneficial for exhibitors and logistics companies. “ATA Carnet is making [temporary importation] easier for exhibitors and even for car racing events,” he said.
However, the president pointed out that more than 80 percent of the exhibitors participating in the exhibitions in Macau are from the mainland. Therefore, it is important for mainland authorities to keep up the pace as well.
He said that while the red tape is cut on the Macau side, exhibitors from the mainland may still experience problems when trying to temporarily export some of their goods or equipment to Macau for exhibition.
Furthermore, in terms of negotiating some trade facilitating measures with mainland authorities, especially those from Guangdong Province, Lei said that Macau was relatively “passive”, and that Macau has always been “one step behind” in the discussions with the mainland authorities. He said that while Hong Kong can always actively make requests regarding trade facilitation to the mainland and be approved immediately, it takes a longer time for Macau. “Macau has to be active in [the negotiation],” he said.
The president has called on the government to be more transparent and disclose more information about the ongoing trade facilitation negotiations with the mainland. “We have already heard that [the Macau government] has been working hard to figure outsome benefits for us. But most of the times there was no news afterwards… It’s alright that we have to wait. But you have to tell us what the obstacles are so that we can come up with the solutions,” he said.