Sandra Lee News

The Port of Seattle, celebrating 20 years as a homeport, welcomes the 2019 cruise season with the arrival of the first ship—Celebrity Eclipse, at the Bell Street Pier Cruise Terminal at Pier 66.“Over twenty years ago this community turned a novel idea into a nearly $900 million industry and helped the Port become the most environmentally progressive home port in North America,” said Port of Seattle Commission President Stephanie Bowman.“Today that economic opportunity reaches all the way from Eastern Washington farms and ranches that provide food for cruise customers, to King County attractions that depend upon summer season travelers to support year-round activities.

The Hong Kong government said on Thursday, it and the Netherlands had signed an agreement to exempt ship owners in the two places from paying double tax. "The agreement is beneficial to ship owners in Hong Kong and the Netherlands as it exempts owners of Hong Kong ships from paying tax levied on cargo loaded in the Netherlands, and vice versa," Secretary for Economic Services Sandra Lee said. Lee said Hong Kong already had similar agreements with the United States, mainland China and Britain and was discussing the issue with about 20 other countries, including Germany, Greece, Australia and Denmark. -(Reuters)

Hong Kong signed an agreement with Britain to avoid double taxation on shipping, exempting owners of Hong Kong ships from paying tax levied on cargo taken up in Britain, and vice versa. It was signed in the territory by Hong Kong Secretary for Economic Services Sandra Lee and British Consul-General James Hodge. Lee said at the signing ceremony that the pact strengthened Hong Kong's status as the international maritime center in Asia. "Hong Kong already has double taxation agreements on shipping with our major trading partners, such as the U.S. and mainland China and has also confirmed with the tax authorities of New Zealand and Korea that conditions for reciprocal tax exemption in our laws have been met," Lee said.