The Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics (HAFFA) has welcomed the measures outlined by the Financial Secretary, Mr. Paul Chan, in the 2026-27 Budget and believes that the comprehensive and swift implementation of these measures will help promote the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s freight logistics industry, and further consolidate Hong Kong’s strategic position as an international logistics hub.
The Association believes that measures proposed in the budget will inject strong momentum into the industry, including enhancing smart logistics, jointly building an intermodal transport system with Mainland China, developing the Modern Logistics Cluster and nurturing Emerging Industries.
HAFFA Chairman, Mr. Gary Lau, stated, “We are delighted to see the government’s investment and successful construction of the Port Community System (PCS), which was officially completed last month. This system provides real‑time tracking of sea, land and air cargo, fostering the free flow of information among different industries. In addition, the PCS and Guangdong e‑Port are connected to provide value‑added services such as One‑Data‑Multiple‑Declarations. This billion-dollar infrastructure project not only enhances Hong Kong’s efficiency and transparency in handling air and sea cargo, but also creates greater business value for the industry, further consolidating Hong Kong’s position as an international maritime and logistics centre.”
Mr. Lau continued, “The ‘rail‑sea‑land‑river’ intermodal transport system proposed in the budget will extend the current arrangements under the Air Transhipment Cargo Exemption Scheme to other sea transhipment and sea-air transhipment modes These measures can effectively open up new cargo sources. For example, goods from inland provinces and cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu can be transported by rail to coastal ports, then transshipped via sea or river to Hong Kong’s Kwai Tsing Port for loading onto international routes. This not only broadens Hong Kong’s cargo sources but also enhances transport efficiency and reduces costs, which we strongly support “
Additionally, the Hung Shui Kiu / Ha Tsuen New Development Area Modern Logistics Cluster Study has been completed. During the government’s consultation process, HAFFA actively provided professional input to ensure that the planning better meets industry needs. In the Budget, the government mentioned that it will connect with the Qianhai Co-operation Zone and will invite expressions of interest from the industry for the development of the first site this year. The project will integrate modern logistics facilities such as warehousing, sorting, processing, and distribution, attracting anchor enterprises to settle in, driving the clustering of upstream and downstream supply chain companies, and forming an organic logistics ecosystem that will further enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness in the logistics sector.
Regarding the budget’s mention of nurturing Emerging Industries, including “Low‑altitude Economy (LAE)”, Mr. Lau believes this is vital for the development of the freight and logistics sector. He stated, “Low‑altitude Economy is a new engine for smart city development and regional integration. It can build a competitive LAE ecosystem. Trial projects, such as unmanned aircraft system traffic management systems, multiple applications/users shared‑platforms, cross‑boundary routes and passenger‑carrying flying aircraft, will be rolled out in phases. This will not only greatly enhance delivery efficiency but also become an important growth engine for the logistics industry in the future.”
HAFFA will continue to collaborate with relevant departments and actively participate in and support the effective implementation of these new measures to promote the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s freight logistics industry.
Established in 1966, and now with nearly 300 corporate members, HAFFA is responsible for setting industry standards as well as providing educational courses which enhance the professional standards of freight forwarders and logistics services providers.
