(Last updated: 5 Jan 2012)

Business etiquette

Business tips

Business etiquette and practices in Macau are similar to Hong Kong:

• Gifts – The exchange of gifts is not widely practised or expected in business in Macau.
• Business cards – The exchange of business cards is a must in all business engagement. It is advisable to prepare adequate number of business card for your business trip. Business cards should be presented and received with both hands.
• Establishing contacts and networks – The quality of your agent or representative’s contacts is crucial, and business introductions are vital, as companies are very cautious when dealing with unfamiliar contacts.
• Preparation and follow-up – Exporters should prepare as much documented information about their companies, products and services as possible, in advance of their visit. Business visitors must remember to follow up on their meetings in Macau when they return to Australia.
• Business entertainment – Meals with local representatives and customers help develop networks and are a normal part of doing business in Macau.
• Correspondence – Answer enquiries, proposals, correspondence and invitations as soon as possible. At the very least, immediately send an acknowledgement stating that an answer will follow shortly. If you do not show sufficient interest and speed in your correspondence, your potential customer will easily find another firm who will!
• Face – Avoid embarrassing Chinese in the presence of others. To avoid the person losing face, discuss any criticisms or disputes in private. In some cases, it may be helpful to use an intermediary to convey criticism or raise issues of concern, particularly with someone of high social status.
• Punctuality – Chinese place importance on punctuality and Australian visitors should do their best to avoid arriving late at appointments. Itineraries should take this into consideration and allow adequate time to move from one appointment to the next.
• Business attire – Business attire is expected for formal meetings, smart casual on other occasions.
• Forms of address – Many Macau business people will have an English first name, used with a Chinese family name, eg. Peter Chan. In this case, the family name is used last, as in Australia. Normally when a Chinese name is written, the family name comes first, with the given name following, eg. Mr Chan Tai-Man would be addressed as Mr Chan. When addressing business correspondence to Macau, all names should be written in full, with titles included.

Please also note: Bribery of foreign public officials is a crime. Australian individuals and companies can be prosecuted in Australia for bribing foreign officials when overseas. For more information, go to the Attorney General's Department on foreign bribery.

Tariffs and non-tariff barriers

Macau is virtually a free port, with tariffs being imposed only on tobacco products, petrol, vehicles and spirits. For tariff rates and submissions, please refer to the Financial Service Bureau.

Non-tariff barriers

All livestock, plants, vegetable products, meat and food are subject to Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau's sanitary quarantine.  Import of food requires both import license and sanitary quarantine; those are meat (fresh, chilled or preserved), sausage, fish (ornamental fish excepted), seafood, dairy products, eggs, ice cream and other edible ice, etc.

In order to prove that they are edible for human consumption, food that need not to apply for the import license but still have to undergo sanitary quarantine are those edible vegetables, fruits, mushroom spawn, sugar cane and caviar, etc.

Import licences are required for importation of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, weapons, transceivers and radar equipment, and equipment and materials for manufacture of optical discs.

For further information on these restrictions, see Macau Customs Service.

Product certification

Most food products do not require an import licence. However, in order to ensure that they are fit for human consumption, all livestock, plants, vegetable products, meat and food are subject to a sanitary quarantine or phyto-sanitary quarantine inspection by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau.

Spirit imports, other than wine, are subject to pre-approved certification and tariff procedures.

Labelling and marking

There is no specific legal requirement or regulations for prepacked foodstuffs labelling. In general, the use of labelling as required by the country of origin is acceptable. The Macau government readily accepts food labels which are designed for Hong Kong and China market.

Though special packing requirements for food products is not expected, there is an administrative requirement to register the food labelling and packaging design for milk powder, pharmaceuticals and all other products that have a treatment effect on skin, before they are imported into Macau. The registration process takes 3 to 4 months for approval. Any change in the packaging design requires the product to go through the registration process again.

Special certificates

It is mandatory for all imported seafood (ornamental fish excepted), meat and poultry (fresh, chilled or preserved), dairy products, eggs, ice cream and fresh produce (other than that from China) to be accompanied with import license and valid health certification issued by from respective authorities in the country of export (in the case of Australia, AQIS).

Live animals, cut meat, seafood, dairy products, eggs, ice cream and fresh produce imported from China is subject to special inspection and quarantine procedures.

Please note that generally, the responsibility of meeting the above legal and administrative requirements rests with local importers. Australian exporters should be mindful of the requirements.

For further information on import licensing and restrictions, it is advisable to check with local importers and the Macau Customs Service.

Taxation

Macau maintains a simple taxation structure and has a low level tariff level for both personal tax and the business sector. Information about taxation structures in Macau is available from the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute.

Setting up in Macau

Austrade’s office in Macau can assist with identification of potential business partners, including importers, distributors and end-users.

For information about establishing a company in Macau, please visit the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM).

Due to limited port and storage facilities for both sea and air freight, and relatively low trading volumes for goods, many Australian products that are exported to Macau are channelled through agents and distributors based in Hong Kong. Some of these agents have established distribution channels in Macau and can therefore service both markets directly. Many Hong Kong-based agents also use Macau companies to distribute to local buyers.

For live and chilled meats and fresh produces it is possible to make use of direct airfreight services from Australia to Macau which operate on a daily basis. Please contact the Austrade office in Macau for more information.

Banking and finance

Macau, has a small but efficient financial system and a high degree of financial freedom without undue government influence and control. The Monetary Authority of Macau is equivalent to a central bank and supervises and regulates the financial system to assure the free flow of financial resources.

At present, there are 28 banks in Macau, of which 12 are locally incorporated (including the postal savings office) and 16 are branches of overseas banks. The Postal Savings Bank is the only banking institution wholly owned by the government. With the exception of two off-shore banks, all the banks in Macau are retail banks with full banking license. Major Hong Kong banks operate in Macau including HSBC, The Chartered Bank, Bank of East Asia, Hang Seng Bank, CITIC Ka Wah Bank and Chong Hing Bank.

The non-banking financial sector includes 11 life insurance companies and 13 non–life insurance companies. Macau has no stock exchange, but domestic firms can freely access and list in Hong Kong’s stock markets.

Major credit cards are accepted in Macau.

For further information on banking and finance in Macau, please visit the Monetary Authority of Macau