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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...

Post forecasts Mexico’s sugar production at 5.4 million metric tons raw value (MMT-RV) for marketing year (MY) 2024/25 (October 1 – September 30).

The following is part of a series of reports prepared by the Agricultural Trade Offices (ATOs) in Monterrey and Mexico City, to provide background on local and regional markets of interest for current and prospective exporters of U.S. agriculture, food and beverage products.

The outlook for Mexican grain production in marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 is higher year-on-year for corn, rice, and sorghum based on higher-than-average precipitation and a gradual recovery from exceptional drought conditions.

In 2025, high domestic meat demand and lower prices of animal feed for both cattle and swine are expected to drive up overall cattle, beef, pig crop, and pork production. Despite relatively high inflation levels for food products, beef consumption is expected to grow as consumers shift purchases to more affordable meat cuts.

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 forecasts production for marketing year (MY) 2024/25 at 0.85 million 480-lb bales, a similar level as in MY 2023/24. The planting area is expected to decrease due to farmers switching to more profitable crops. Constraints on planted area and yield include limited seed technology, high input costs, extreme temperatures, and drought.

Mexico is the sixth largest poultry producer and fifth largest consumer globally. In 2025 production is forecast to grow as higher private investments in poultry sector and improved feed prices are expected to boost industry-wide productivity.

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.