The newly completed cross-border cargo transfer station at Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) is set to start operations next Tuesday – changing the way cargo moves between the two SARs.
For the first time, cargo will be able to move by land from Hong Kong to Macao. Currently, this is only possible by sea. Up until now, the US$20 billion HZMB has only been used by tourist buses and private vehicles since its 2018 opening.
Located at the Macao checkpoint area of the HZMB, the cargo transfer station was completed in May this year. The facility will be where goods get transferred from Hong Kong-registered trucks to Macao-registered trucks – without any need for the Hong Kong vehicles to enter Macao.
Customs clearance services will not be available at the transfer station, Macao Customs Service officials clarified yesterday. Cargo transferred to Macao-registered vehicles at the station need to undergo customs clearance at the HZMB Macao Customs post.
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On Monday, the Macao government announced its transfer station fee structure. There will be four types of services available, costing between 200 and 1,100 patacas per 30 or 40-minute window with pre-approved booking. Without an appointment, the fees will be significantly higher.
At a briefing held yesterday, officials from the Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) said that about 80 percent of goods imported by Macao are delivered via Hong Kong. They noted that the new cargo transfer station would broaden logistics companies’ options for getting goods into Macao.
