On 30 June 2025, the Official Journal of the European Union published Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1292 of 23 June 2025, opening and providing for the management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products, and Council Regulation (EU) 2025/1303 of 23 June 2025, suspending customs duties on certain agricultural and industrial products. Pursuant to these two regulations, operators – including those based in Hong Kong – may find increased opportunities to sell the goods covered by those regulations to EU customers.

On 29 June, the General Administration of Customs announced its decision to conditionally resume the import of some aquatic products (including edible aquatic animals) originating from Japan with immediate effect, except for those from 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Fukushima, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, Saitama, Tokyo and Chiba. Japanese companies exporting seafood to China must comply with regulations concerning the registration and administration of overseas manufacturers of imported food.

On May 8, 2025, the FDA issued a letter to retailers, distributors and importers informing them that dinnerware products such as bowls, plates, cups and utensils made from the sheath of A. catechu palm leaves have the potential to leach toxic alkaloid chemicals into food.

On 29 June, China announced the immediate resumption of seafood imports from certain regions in Japan, lifting a nearly two-year ban that had been in place due to concerns over the discharge of treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Oman has implemented digital tax stamps on imported excise beverages, including carbonated drinks, alcoholic beverages and energy drinks (except sweetened drinks), starting 1 June 2025.

This study looks into Hong Kong’s food and beverage (F&B) export with Muslim-majority countries, followed by expert opinions on Halal food trade opportunities for Hong Kong, with a view to exploring new opportunities for business communities in the city.

The GBA Standardization Research Center announced on 22 May that nine new items have been added to the list of standards to be adopted throughout the GBA upon consultation and mutual confirmation by the parties concerned in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.

The European Commission has released its 2024 annual notification report on food contact materials (FCMs) and related articles, highlighting the key products affected and the most frequently reported issues.

On 19 May, the General Administration of Customs of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Environment and Ecology Bureau signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the Inspection, Quarantine and Hygiene Requirements for Meat Products Exported from Hong Kong to the Mainland and a Cooperation Arrangement for the Export of Dairy Products from Hong Kong to the Mainland. The two agreements facilitate food trade between Hong Kong and the Mainland, and the development of Hong Kong’s meat and dairy products businesses. Hong Kong-manufactured meat and dairy products meeting the requirements set out in the agreements will be allowed to be imported into the Mainland. The agreements also put in place monitoring of food safety at source for Hong Kong-manufactured meat and dairy products exported to the Mainland, and lay out requirements for testing in relation to raw materials, production management, and the storage and transportation of food products. The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the General Administration of Customs will discuss operational details in due course.

The increasingly health-conscious Gulf states represent a potential bonanza for international food exporters.