Nikon Hong Kong announced that they will begin charging a substantial “administration fee” for the repair and maintenance of grey market (parallel import) products. According to their official notice, this fee can be up to HK$5,000 (approximately £500/$640 USD). It is important to note that this is strictly an administrative charge in addition to the actual repair costs and parts.
This appears to be a very aggressive move against the grey market. It naturally raises the question: is this an isolated local policy, or could this be a testing ground for similar strategies by Nikon in Europe and the Americas?
In the US, B&H now sells a very limited amount of Nikon grey market gear, but Amazon and eBay are full of it.
This is the current warning on the Nikon USA website regarding grey market gear:
Here is the Google translation of the notice:
Notice Regarding Product Repair Service Arrangements
Effective May 1, 2026, Nikon Hong Kong will charge a one-time administrative service fee for parallel-imported* products:
- DX Cameras / Lenses: HK$3,000
- FX Cameras / Lenses: HK$5,000
This administrative service fee is non-refundable and non-deductible; it will not be offset against the actual repair costs.
The line between Nikon USA version and gray market, fuzzy or crystal clear?
