Pesticide Registration in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, pesticides are regulated by Pesticides Ordinance (Cap. 133). Only pesticides that have been registered in Hong Kong may be distributed and used in Hong Kong. Hong Kong maintains a Pesticides Register with the details of registered pesticides in HK, including the active ingredient(s), concentration limits, and permitted formulations. Pesticide products do not require registrations as long as they contain the registered active ingredient and conform to the specified maximum concentration of active ingredient(s) and permitted formulation detailed in the Pesticides Register.

The Pesticides Register consists of two parts: Part I are ready-for-use domestic pesticides and those in Part II are all other pesticides.

The company that plans to sell pesticides in Hong Kong also needs to apply for pesticide licenses; a permit to trade, manufacture, possess, or use any scheduled pesticide or any other unregistered pesticide; and meet the minimum requirements for labeling and bottling of pesticides.

Definition

Under the Ordinance, the term “pesticide” means any insecticide, fungicide, herbicide, acaricide or any substance (whether organic or inorganic) or mixture of substances used or intended to be used for preventing, destroying, repelling, attracting, inhibiting or controlling any insect, rodent, bird, nematode, bacterium, fungus, weed or other form of plant or animal life or any virus, which is a pest; or any substance or mixture of substances used or intended to be used as a plant growth regulator, defoliant or desiccant. They range from agricultural insecticides, pest control chemicals and antifouling paints to domestic use mothballs, rat poison, mosquito coils and mosquito replant liquid, etc. 

However, they do not include:

• any purely mechanical device for trapping or catching insects, rodents or other animals; any purely electromagnetic;
• ultrasonic device for the control of mosquitoes, rodents or other pests;
• any antiseptic, disinfecting solution or preparation in clinical or sanitary applications; any pharmaceutical product within the meaning of the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138);
• any pesticide not listed in Schedule 1 nor in Part 1 of Schedule 2 to the Ordinance that is contained in an individual package or container not exceeding 10g or 10mL and used indoors for laboratory research, chemical analysis or as a reference standard.

Regulation

• Pesticides Ordinance (Cap. 133)
• Guidelines on the application procedure for the registration of a pesticide 
• Guidelines on labeling of pesticides 

Applicant

Any person may apply for registration of a pesticide.

Authority

The government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation (DAFC) 

Data Requirements

The technical information required for pesticides registration in HK are listed in guideline document “Appendix A - Information Requirement for Pesticide Registration”:

• Chemical and physical properties of the active ingredient(s)
• Chemical and physical properties of the formulated product
• Usage information of pesticide
• Information on toxicity of the active ingredient(s) and formulated product
• Information on environmental studies of the active ingredient(s) and the formulated product
• Measures to be taken in case of intoxication
• Registration status in other countries

It is not difficult to register a new pesticide in HK if the pesticide has already been registered in other countries and above information is available.

Application Fee

A fee of HK$2,880 is charged for an application for registration of a pesticide.

Our Service

• Determination of whether a pesticide requires registration in Hong Kong
• Pesticide registration in Hong Kong
• Label and packaging review for pesticides in Hong Kong