Exco to debate two-tin milk law

A special Executive Council meeting will be held today to discuss amending import and export laws to tackle the problem of parallel-goods trading, a source said last night.

The changes -proposed by the Food and Health Bureau this month - would mean people aged 16 and over cannot leave the city with more than a total weight of 1.8kg, or two tins of infant formula, in their usual packaging, in any one day.

Anyone breaking this law could be fined up to HK$500,000 and jailed for up to two years. Although the source did not say when the law was expected to come into practice, the bureau has said that it intends to implement the new provisions as soon as possible.

If approved by Exco, they will still need to go before the Legislative Council before the changes can take effect.

Leung Kim-shing, spokesman of the North District Parallel Imports Concern Group, said the progress was too slow.

"At present, there are still shortages of baby formula in districts such as Tsing Yi and Kwun Tong. This (submission to Exco) has come too late," Leung said.

He suggested that the government should also limit how much baby formula could be bought at pharmacies and supermarkets to prevent the parallel traders stockpiling formula on this side of the border.