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Hong Kong pledges tighter gate-keeping of imported labour to protect local jobs

Hong Kong pledges tighter gate-keeping of imported labour to protect local jobs

Responding to lawmakers on 21 January, Hong Kong labour chief Chris Sun detailed tougher rules and fresh statistics aimed at stopping abuse of the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme. Applications and approvals for imported catering staff have already fallen sharply, 24 employers have been sanctioned, and nearly 20,000 illegal-worker raids were mounted in 2025. Companies must brace for stricter compliance checks and a possible policy overhaul in 2026.

Jan 22, 2026
Three Hong Kong employers black-listed for skirting local-hire rules

Three Hong Kong employers black-listed for skirting local-hire rules

Hong Kong’s Labour Department has frozen ESLS applications from three employers after confirming they manipulated recruitment to sideline local candidates. The two-year ban underscores an increasingly zero-tolerance stance toward abuse of the foreign-labour scheme and signals tougher compliance expectations for all businesses.

Jan 22, 2026
Hong Kong eyes new cross-border cargo points as Single E-lock Scheme nears 100 sites

Hong Kong eyes new cross-border cargo points as Single E-lock Scheme nears 100 sites

Hong Kong and Mainland customs authorities plan to add Guangxi to the Single E-lock Scheme, which already streamlines truck movements across 93 checkpoints. The expansion—alongside talks to include Zhuhai Airport—aims to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as the Greater Bay Area’s premier air-cargo gateway and reduce clearance times for multinational shippers.

Jan 22, 2026
Airport passenger jailed for smuggling 43,800 duty-free cigarettes into Hong Kong

Airport passenger jailed for smuggling 43,800 duty-free cigarettes into Hong Kong

A traveller arriving from the Mainland was sentenced to five months in jail on 21 January after customs officers seized nearly 44,000 undeclared cigarettes from his luggage. The tough penalty underscores Hong Kong’s zero-tolerance stance on duty evasion and serves as a warning to business travellers to respect the city’s strict 19-cigarette duty-free limit.

Jan 22, 2026

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