For importing and exporting medicines, apart from holding a wholesale licence, is an import or export licence required for each consignment?

Yes, this is required in the vast majority of cases. A Wholesale Dealer Licence establishes your eligibility to conduct medicine import and export business, but for each individual consignment you must also apply to the Department of Health for the relevant import/export licence under the Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60). An import licence must be applied for and approved before the goods arrive in Hong Kong; an export licence must also be obtained before the goods leave Hong Kong. You will need to provide detailed information about the goods, including the medicine name, quantity, dosage form, manufacturer, batch number and details of the importing and exporting companies. By approving import/export licences for each consignment, the Department of Health monitors medicines entering and leaving Hong Kong in real time, tracks their movement and prevents unregistered or non-compliant medicines from entering the market. Small quantities of medicines for use as samples or in clinical trials may be exempt from registration requirements, but an import/export licence is usually still required.