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Hong Kong’s food retail sales remained stable at $12.2 billion in 2023, however retailers face growing challenges as more budget-minded residents travel to mainland China to save on food purchases, leading to a 4.7 percent decline in food retail sales in the first seven months of 2024.

Bite size local news, Post reports and activity summaries wrapped by ATO Hong Kong. In this issue: ATO Hong Kong teams up with Hong Kong Polytechnic University to train student chefs and showcase U.S. ingredients; Cotton Council International brings Cotton USA Sustainability and Transparency Seminar to Hong Kong...

Due to recent recalls by Hong Kong authorities of food products containing ethylene oxide (ETO), ATO Hong Kong reminds all U.S. exporters that ETO is not permitted in food products for sale in Hong Kong.

Post revised up Brazil’s MY 2024/25 cotton production forecast to 16.6 million 480lb bales (3.6 million metric tons (MMT)), an 11 percent increase compared to the previous MY. The main drivers behind this record output are a forecasted area increase (revised up to 1.94 million hectares), and better-than-anticipated yields across key producing states.

Brazil is the world’s second-largest ethanol and third-largest biodiesel producer but has yet to introduce renewable diesel or sustainable aviation fuel. Post forecasts total ethanol production at 32.5 billion liters in CY 2024, with cane ethanol forecast at 25.5 billion liters and corn ethanol production at seven billion liters.

Brazil is the third-largest cattle producer and second-largest beef exporter in the world. Post forecasts decreased slaughter in 2025, due to the forecasted start of the reversion of the cattle cycle. Producers are likely to start retaining cattle in 2025, driving calf prices upwards.

On August 13, the Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety (CFS) confirmed to ATO Hong Kong that effective February 14, 2025, the Special Autonomous Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will transition from a “systems-based” approach to recognizing foreign meat and poultry establishments to an “establishment or plant-based” registration system.

This report provides guidelines on Hong Kong’s food import regulations.

Hong Kong does not have any certification changes for food imports since the last report submitted in July 2023. This report lists the certificates required by the Hong Kong Government (HKG) for U.S. agricultural and food exports to Hong Kong. Certificate samples are included in the appendix.

With the expected end of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which severely impacted corn productivity this 2023/24 harvest, Post forecasts a year-on-year increase in corn production for MY 2024/25 (March 2025 – February 2026) at 127 MMT.

The Government of Brazil (GoB) announced a nominal record in funds for 2024/25 Crop Plan, the main agricultural credit and financing public policy, at R$ 475.5 billion (US$ 88.2 billion).

Bite size local news, Post reports and activity summaries wrapped by ATO Hong Kong. In this issue: ATO Hong Kong Kicks Off Sizzling Summer Retail Promotions; Beijing Moves To Offer 5-year Travel Permits To Non-Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents...