ship registration in Hong Kong
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The Hong Kong Shipping Register was set up in 1990 under the Hong Kong Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance, administered by the
Marine Department (Hong Kong) The Marine Department of the Hong Kong Government is responsible for maintaining safety and environmental protection of the harbour (Port of Hong Kong), ships registered/foreign ships in Hong Kong and monitor shipping traffic in Hong Kong Waters, ...
. Since the transfer of sovereignty by the United Kingdom in 1997, Hong Kong is authorised under the Basic Law by the Government of the
People’s Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, using the name “Hong Kong, China” to maintain a separate
ship registration Ship registration is the process by which a ship is documented and given the nationality of the country to which the ship has been documented. The nationality allows a ship to travel internationally as it is proof of ownership of the vessel. Inter ...
system. In April 1999, the Hong Kong Government launched some new measures to improve the ship registration system in Hong Kong. By cooperation of government and
shipping industry Maritime transport (or ocean transport) and hydraulic effluvial transport, or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers) or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by sea has been widely used throug ...
, the total tonnage of ship registry in Hong Kong has reached over 129 million
gross tons Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weig ...
with over 2,400 vessels registered in May 2020. The Hong Kong Ship Register is now the world’s fourth largest ship register, and the world’s largest national flag register. __TOC__


Ship registry fee

The first time registration fee for a ship is determined according to its
Gross Tonnage Gross tonnage (GT, G.T. or gt) is a nonlinear measure of a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage. Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage should be confused with measures of mass or weigh ...
(GT). The annual tonnage charge for a ship is determined referring to its Net Tonnage (NT). The minimum annual tonnage charge is HK$1,500 with every tonne above 1000 NT costing an extra HK$3.5 until 15,000 NT, whereby the rate lowers to HK$3 per tonne thereafter. The charge would not exceed HK$77,500. Annual Tonnage Charge (ATC) Reduction Scheme Hong Kong Shipping Ordinance, the Regulation 4 “Annual tonnage charges” of Chapter 415A “MERCHANT SHIPPING (REGISTRATION) (FEES AND CHARGES) REGULATIONS” Since February 2006, the Annual Tonnage Charge (ATC) Reduction Scheme has been enacted to reduce the long term cost for ship owners, whereby, for every two years of the qualifying period, satisfying: # given the ship is continuously registered with the Hong Kong Shipping Register; # given the ship has no detention record under any Port State Control during said period. The registered ship owner would have the right to enjoy a six months ATC reduction for the following year in general.


Registration procedures

A ship is eligible for registration if the ship: * is owned in majority by a qualified person(s), or operated by a qualified person(s) under demise charter, * is not registered elsewhere, * has a local representative or agent appointed to it. There are 3 types of registration: Full Registration, Provisional Registration and Bare Boat Charter Registration. The registration procedures only requires the submission of: *Application Form, *Authority Form for making and signing applications and declarations, *Declaration of entitlement to ensure the ownership of ships. After a ship is on the Hong Kong shipping register under full or provisional registration, mortgages against the ship can be registered.


Ship registration agents

Agents for HK flag registration include: * '
Wealth Ocean Services Ltd.
''


Preferential port dues

Hong Kong registered ships can enjoy about 30% preferential port dues in mainland China ports since January 2000. In order to reduce port and light dues for Hong Kong registered ships, HKSAR expects to sign up agreements with other countries which have a two-tier charging system.


Shipping profit taxation

Income derived from the
international trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significant ...
of Hong Kong registered ships is exempted from
profits tax In Hong Kong, profits tax is an income tax chargeable to business carried on in Hong Kong. Applying the territorial taxation concept, only profits sourced in Hong Kong are taxable in general. Capital gains are not taxable in Hong Kong, althou ...
. HKSAR has also entered into bilateral
double taxation Double taxation is the levying of tax by two or more jurisdictions on the same income (in the case of income taxes), asset (in the case of capital taxes), or financial transaction (in the case of sales taxes). Double liability may be mitigated i ...
relief agreements with 40 countries which include: Agreement for the avoidance of double taxation (DTA):
Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States; Reciprocal tax exemption (RTE):
Chile, Korea, New Zealand; Comprehensive DTA (CDTA):
Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Czech, France, Guernsey, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Korea, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mainland China, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Vietnam


Quality assurance system

The Flag State Quality Control (FSQC) System is based on an information system to monitor the quality of Hong Kong registered ships. By analyzing and collecting the information, unqualified conditions of a ship will be identified for Flag State inspection. The Pre-registration Quality Control (PRQC) System involves the Marine Department which will inspect a ship’s condition before it is registered in Hong Kong. The ship should meet all safety and pollution prevention standards announced by International Maritime Organization.


See also

*
Hong Kong shipping register The port of Hong Kong is a deep water port located in southern China. It is one of the hub ports serving the South-East and East Asia region, and is a gateway to mainland China. The city of Hong Kong began as a colony of the United Kingdom. It was ...


References

*Hong Kong Shipping Register User's Handbook, Marine Department of HKSAR


External links


Hong Kong Merchant Shipping Ordinance
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ship Registration In Hong Kong
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
Water transport in Hong Kong Ship registration