The Macau government will sign an agreement with its Hong Kong counterpart on new “cross-border land transport arrangements” between the two special administrative regions, the Macau Transport Bureau (DSAT) announced in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the DSAT statement, the deal will enable cargo transport between the two cities via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB).

Currently, i.e., before the new agreement takes effect, Hong Kong-Macau cargo can only be moved by sea.

The DSAT statement noted that Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng authorised Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário to sign the agreement with the Hong Kong government, after which Rosário delegated his authority to sign the deal to DSAT Director Kelvin Lam Hin San.

The statement did not say when the deal will be inked.

According to the statement, the agreement aims to further promote the development of logistics businesses and trade between Hong Kong and Macau, as well as to gradually implement various regulations on cargo transport between the two cities carried out by Hong Kong-registered or Macau-registered lorries through the HZMB.

The statement noted that with land cargo transport between Hong Kong and Macau scheduled to get off the ground, the Macau Transport Bureau at the end of last year started building a cross-border cargo transfer station at the HZMB Macau checkpoint area.

According to previous news reports, the construction of the station was completed in May this year, after which its use was transferred to the Macau Customs Service.

At the new facility, according to the previous reports, goods will be transferred from Hong Kong-registered lorries to Macau-registered lorries without the former having to enter the Macau Special Administrative Region territory. After the goods transfer process is completed, the Hong Kong lorries can then return to Hong Kong via the HZMB.

The DSAT statement noted that the cargo transfer station will come into operation when the new agreement takes effect. 

This undated handout photo downloaded from the website of the local Tat Cheong Engineering and Construction Company Limited yesterday shows the newly completed cross-border cargo transfer station at the Macau checkpoint area of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB).