HKG Duty Free (Inwards)

[BlueAU]

Hmm arriving into HKG, I read that you can only take in 1 Litre. Wow Aussies are generous when we come back INTO the country

Anyone know if it's cheaper to buy in AUS when going into HKG?

Can't find prices on the Duty Free site in HKG ..

 

[Mal]

I've never found duty free liquor an attractive proposition in HKG airport.

Cigarettes - yes, not liquor.

Oh, and are you sure about the 1L rule? I'm sure I saw signs up this morning outside the arrivals Duty Free shop (I arrived into Honkers about 6 hours ago) which implied that there are no limits to what can be purchased.

I was very jetlagged and tired though...

 

[zzyss]

I saw this in the plant thread that somebody else raised:

Advice to Travellers

1 litre of alcoholic liquor with an alcoholic strength above 30% by volume measured at a temperature of 20oC; and

I think given the exchange rate, it might be better to buy in Hong Kong, although that's just pure speculation on my part. I'd be better able to you an answer next week when I actually get there but Mal's already there

 

[Mal]

I'd be better able to you an answer next week when I actually get there but Mal's already there

Well I leave here on Wed, so assuming I have enough time (it's an 8amish flight) I'll price up some common spirits.

I did look at that customs page, and agree the rules are pretty clear. Makes me wonder what I did see on that sign this morning...

 

[BlueAU]

Thanks Mal and zzyss. Prices would be good to compare. Just looking at Baileys or some Black/Blue Label as gifts. But 1L is stingy, so it may have to be just one :!:

 

[NM]

I too have found HKG to not be overly competitive with alcohol prices duty free. SIN is generally much better. but with the A$ at over HK$7 it may be worthwhile.

Of course it depends on what you want. Departing Australia you can buy a litre of JW Black for $35.95 (5 x 200ml bottle at $6.99 each), which is considerably cheaper than buying a 1l bottle at the same shop ($49.99).

 

[Keith009]

It'd depend on what you're after. In general, HKIA duty free prices are generally not all that different compared to high street pricing, as there isn't any retail tax in HK anyway. With some small exceptions, virtually all of HK is duty free! For champagne, buying in HK is definitely cheaper than buying in Australia. Wines in HK are usually either hideously overpriced cheap plonk or the top end stuff.

 

[Mal]

I too have found HKG to not be overly competitive with alcohol prices duty free. SIN is generally much better. but with the A$ at over HK$7 it may be worthwhile.

Of course it depends on what you want. Departing Australia you can buy a litre of JW Black for $35.95 (5 x 200ml bottle at $6.99 each), which is considerably cheaper than buying a 1l bottle at the same shop ($49.99).

NM, you're a much more frequent HKG visitor than I. Can you recall what is sold duty free at arrivals? I tend to move very quickly out of the airport - in fact today, it probably took no more than 10 mins from Gate-Airport Express (Bless automated immigration and apathy with customs controls).

The last time I did visit Arrivals duty free was before a wedding I attended in March, and I found the range lacking (for what I was after, which was a bottle of champers). Do you know if the spirits mentioned are sold at arrivals?

Oh - and the 5x200Ml bottles are practical from a financial sense, but maybe not from a cultural sense. A very "money sensitive" (others might call him a tightwad!) friend of mine asked me for a 1L bottle of a certain spirit. I advised him that 5x200Ml would save about $A15, but he wasn't interested. It came down to his culture and how the bigger the bottle, the better "show" he had for his friends and relatives. I ended up finding him a 2L bottle (I think in Singapore) and he was very happy.

 

[winfred]

I would advise that you buy wine in Australia and take them to HK as HK recently removed import duty on wine (and only wine not other alcoholic beverages). Although they have removed duty on wine, they are still ridiculously expensive in HK.

Other goods that are subject to duty are cars, tobacco, hydrocarbon oil & methyl alcohol

 

[NM]

NM, you're a much more frequent HKG visitor than I. Can you recall what is sold duty free at arrivals? I tend to move very quickly out of the airport - in fact today, it probably took no more than 10 mins from Gate-Airport Express (Bless automated immigration and apathy with customs controls).

Not sure as I can't ever remember buying inbound at HKG. I am not there long enough to consume a full size bottle. I have been known to pick up a few 200ml bottles of various things ex Australia when heading over. But 5 is more than I would consume in the time I am there :shock:. I have not found 200ml bottles readily available in places outside Australia.

The last time I did visit Arrivals duty free was before a wedding I attended in March, and I found the range lacking (for what I was after, which was a bottle of champers). Do you know if the spirits mentioned are sold at arrivals?

Yes, spirits are available on arrival into HKG. But I have found the range available at HKG in general is poor compared with places like SIN.

Oh - and the 5x200Ml bottles are practical from a financial sense, but maybe not from a cultural sense. A very "money sensitive" (others might call him a tightwad!) friend of mine asked me for a 1L bottle of a certain spirit. I advised him that 5x200Ml would save about $A15, but he wasn't interested. It came down to his culture and how the bigger the bottle, the better "show" he had for his friends and relatives. I ended up finding him a 2L bottle (I think in Singapore) and he was very happy.

Agree they may not be best as a gift. But very economical for personal consumption during a trip away. Lots of variety available, including most types of spirits and some liqueurs. So can take a few different things for variety.

 

[edman]

Oh, and are you sure about the 1L rule? I'm sure I saw signs up this morning outside the arrivals Duty Free shop (I arrived into Honkers about 6 hours ago) which implied that there are no limits to what can be purchased.

I was very jetlagged and tired though...

So that explains my dad's request for me to transport 18 bottles of Penfolds 707 to HKG when I'm there in December. From the link provided there must only be a limit if the alcohol content is over 30%.

 

[moa999]

On the other hand champagne seems to be very cheap in HKG.

On my last trip (a week ago) saw a fellow entertaining with a bottle of Dom at 11am in a small cafe on Hollywood in SOHO.
Checking the menu it was hkd1500 (about A$200) which was cheaper than the A$220 inbound at SYD.

 

[zig]

Not sure about availablity on arrival, but DF on departure from HKG last week was much more competitively priced than Syd. Just wasn't allowed to purchase anything (shop claimed this was Aust Govt regulation) :evil: What's that all about?? What I was going to buy in HKG cost $AUD 70 more in Syd on arrival. Not happy!

 

[Danger]

Just wasn't allowed to purchase anything (shop claimed this was Aust Govt regulation) :evil: What's that all about??

I'm curious about this too. I tried to purchase a bottle of alcohol at BKK duty free earlier this year and was given the same line about the Australian Government prohibiting it. I assume they're right but I don't what exactly they're referring to.

 

[Mal]

Here's the prices I found this morning. I was quite rushed, so hope I havn't made any transcription mistakes!

Baileys (I think 1L but not 100% sure) $HK180
Johnnie Blue (1L) $HK1530
Johnnie Black (1L) $HK265

 

[Mal]

Just wasn't allowed to purchase anything (shop claimed this was Aust Govt regulation) :evil: What's that all about??

Qantas seems to think HKG duty free shops can seal+deliver bags to the gate (ala what happens in Singapore) Fly - Baggage - Carry-on Baggage - Country Specific

It could have been timing, or they just don't want to do it. I'm pretty sure I have seen signs up previously in Duty Free shops advising that they can't sell to people flying to Australia. Certainly there is secondary inspection at the gate on flights to Australia looking for liquids >100ml.

 

[zig]

Qantas seems to think HKG duty free shops can seal+deliver bags to the gate (ala what happens in Singapore) Fly - Baggage - Carry-on Baggage - Country Specific

It could have been timing, or they just don't want to do it. I'm pretty sure I have seen signs up previously in Duty Free shops advising that they can't sell to people flying to Australia. Certainly there is secondary inspection at the gate on flights to Australia looking for liquids >100ml.

That was the argument I tried with the shop assistants, and I asked them to sell it to me and then seal the bag, but they refused and kept indicating to the signs in the shop.

 

[equus]

That was the argument I tried with the shop assistants, and I asked them to sell it to me and then seal the bag, but they refused and kept indicating to the signs in the shop.

Just sealing is not enough, they have to deliver it to the gate as well. I think they did you a favour if you were about to board a flight to Australia.

Would you have rather they sold it to you, sealed it up, waved you goodbye, then it was confiscated at the gate?

 

[zig]

Just sealing is not enough, they have to deliver it to the gate as well. I think they did you a favour if you were about to board a flight to Australia.

Would you have rather they sold it to you, sealed it up, waved you goodbye, then it was confiscated at the gate?

No, you're right, very glad they didn't sell it to me to have had it confiscated at the gate. There were people getting very upset about getting sealed bottles of water taken off them, let alone an expensive single malt. I'm just curious about what appears to be an inconsistent application of the rules at various airports internationally. Particularly when they tell you it is an Australian govt requirment.

 

[NM]

Definitely cannot purchase duty-free liquids at HKG and carry on to any Australia-bound flight. There is a secondary liquids check at the gate during boarding. Mind you, its a pretty basic manual inspection. If you had large pockets it would be easy to walk on board with a litre of something.

In my opinion, this requirement to search for and confiscate DF liquids under the guise of security is just the Australian government giving in to the lobbying of the Australian airport owners and Australian duty-free shop operators in an attempt to protect the inbound duty-free shopping market.