Australia Lifts Restrictions on Hong Kong Horses

Hong Kong has received the green light from the Australian government Nov. 25 to resume movement of horses between Australia and Hong Kong. Effective immediately, horses can be transported between Australia and Hong Kong on the same conditions that existed before October 2017.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club welcomed the outcome, which follows the completion of the Australia's Department of Agriculture's assessment of Guangdong's Equine Disease Free Zone, the Conghua Racecourse, and the biosecurity passage via which horses are transported between Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and CRC.

Australia's Department of Agriculture had changed the quarantine rules between the two racing jurisdictions two years ago when the Conghua Training Center opened in China. At the time, Australian officials raised concerns over China’s biosecurity regulations, despite the HKJC creating an equine disease-free zone in the facility.

The assessment concluded the suite of biosecurity controls in place meet Australia's import standards and, accordingly, Hong Kong should regain its status as an approved jurisdiction for the export of horses to Australia.

The assessment was based on an audit of information provided by the General Administration of Customs, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department, and the Hong Kong Jockey Club, with a verification visit to mainland China conducted in October.

"Following on the heels of the interim protocols achieved in March and the successful site visit by officials from Australia's Department of Agriculture in October, we welcome the confirmation that movements of horses between Australia and Hong Kong can now be fully resumed," said Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's executive director of racing. "The high level of commitment by MARA, GACC, AFCD, and DA to achieving this outcome is gratefully acknowledged, as is the strong support from the industry in Australia."