
Gov’t amends ordinance for third phase of Trade Single Window scheme
The last phase is considered the most complex part of the scheme.
Technical amendments were made by the Hong Kong government in the Import and Export Ordinance and related legislation to pave the way for the replacement of the existing Government Electronic Trading Services (GETS) by the third phase of the Trade Single Window (TSW) scheme.
A spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said that the passing of the amendment “will provide the legal basis for the implementation of TSW Phase 3, achieving another important milestone on trade facilitation.”
“The TSW not only overhauls and enhances the document submission workflows between participating government agencies and the trade, but also enhances the efficiency of cargo clearance in Hong Kong and helps consolidate Hong Kong's status as an international trade centre and a logistics hub,” he added.
Phases 1 and 2 of the TSW scheme have already been in full service since 2020 and 2023, respectively, covering 42 types of trade documents in total.
Phase 3 is considered the final and most complex phase of the TSW because it involves a large volume of documents submitted by a wide range of stakeholders.
According to the government, the IT system of Phase 3 will replace the long-established GETS and major cargo clearance systems of the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department.
To provide sufficient time for the trade to migrate to the new system, the amendment ordinance has included provisions on transitional arrangements to allow parallel run of TSW Phase 3 and GETS for a certain period of time.