Surge in parallel trading in Tin Shui Wai sparks call for Hong Kong government action
- Police and locals note new trend in which area has become pick-up point for goods bought throughout city
- Concern groups demand seven government departments respond to letter
Concern groups in Hong Kong’s Tin Shui Wai on Saturday demanded that authorities take action against a surge in parallel trading activities observed in the area since December.
Ben Ho Wai-pan, co-organiser of a campaign against parallel traders, said: “At around 3pm or 4pm [each day], you can see some 40 parallel traders occupying busy main passages near MTR and light rail stations.”
Swift police action in Tin Shui Wai caused a drop in such activities on Thursday, but Ho insisted seven government departments, including the Immigration Department and Lands Department, did not reply to letters about joining their movement.
Ho’s campaign, comprising two concern groups, aimed to identify parallel traders on the spot and ask them to leave. These are people who buy tax-free goods in Hong Kong in bulk and resell them in mainland China to turn a profit.
The proliferation of such activities has caused tensions with locals, especially Hongkongers in border towns, as parallel importers have been accused of depleting stocks or driving up retail prices.
