Local logistics firm’s Taiwan branch says it will not ship ‘prohibited books’ to Hong Kong – report

The Taiwanese subsidiary of a Hong Kong logistics firm has reportedly told clients it will not ship “prohibited books” to the city to comply with the Beijing-imposed national security law. People attend the Hong Kong Book Fair in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, on July 17, 2026. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. Taiwanese media outlet Formosa Television (FTVN) first reported on Tuesday that Hong Kong firm Jaguar Logistics’ Taiwan branch had issued a notice to clients on its new policies. The firm said it would not ship “prohibited publications” to the city, and that clients must provide a list of book titles in shipments, according to a copy of the notice obtained by FTVN. It will also not ship to bookstores under government investigation, Jaguar Logistics said. The firm named Greenfield Bookstore, Have a Nice Stay, Book Punch and Hunter Bookstore – the four independent bookshops that have seen staff arrested by national security police on suspicion of sedition this year. Jaguar Logistics’ headquarters, which is in Hong Kong, did not immediately respond to HKFP’s enquiries on Wednesday. A staff member said it needed to obtain more information from the Taiwan branch. Hong Kong firm Jaguar Logistics. Photo: Jaguar Logistics. Hong Kong’s Customs and Excise Department told HKFP that it would not comment on remarks made by individual organisations. In an emailed reply on Friday, the department said it would tightly safeguard national security, adding that it would detain shipments suspected of containing seditious items and refer them to the police for investigation. Jaguar Logistics’ Taiwan branch told FTVN that its containers to Hong Kong had been detained by the city’s customs department before, resulting in losses for the company. Crackdown continues Last week, Hong Kong authorities raided Greenfield Bookstore and Have a Nice Stay, arresting five people on suspicion of selling seditious publications. It was the third round of national security police’s operations targeting independent booksellers this year, with staff from Book Punch and Hunter Bookstore being arrested for alleged sedition in March and June, respectively. In total, 11 people were arrested. All of them were released on bail and have not been charged. A woman is escorted away from ‘Have a Nice Stay’ independent bookstore by Hong Kong police on July 15, 2026. Her t-shirt reads: “I am staff of a bookstore.” Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP. After the arrests last week, Secretary for Security Chris Tang said that authorities would not provide a list of banned publications, and that booksellers must take responsibility to ensure titles on their shelves are lawful. Tang said that a list of banned books may give offenders the chance to avoid detection by changing the titles. Jaguar Logistics’ Taiwan branch told a Ming Pao reporter posing as a customer that Hong Kong authorities did not order it to issue the notice. The branch said it was merely acting “out of caution,” according to a report on Wednesday. The firm did not have a list of prohibited books and the Hong Kong government did not provide one, the reporter was told. The notice served as a reminder to clients not to ship publications “critical of the Chinese government,” “sensitive to the Hong Kong government,” or bearing “provocative titles,” the staff member said. Jaguar Logistics was established in 1997. It has operations in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia, according to the company’s website. Safeguard press freedom; keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps Make a one-off donation. Founded in 2015, Hong Kong Free Press is an impartial, non-profit, award-winning English-language newspaper. Run by journalists, backed by readers and 100% independent, HKFP is governed by a public Code of Ethics. If there are uncertainties relating to safety or security, we may use an "HKFP Staff" byline. More on our Ethics & Policies. More by Hong Kong Free Press