HKIAC makes competitive updates to fees and expedited procedures

The updates, announced on HKIAC’s website, will take effect from 1 January 2026 and will alter HKIAC’s fee schedules across a number of areas.

HKIAC significantly expanded the scope for expedited procedures by doubling a monetary threshold above which such procedures cannot be triggered: where the maximum amount in dispute is up to HK$50 million (US$6,4m), expedited procedures will be open to the parties in dispute.

This change brings HKIAC in line with the SIAC, which also significantly increased the monetary threshold for expedited rules in its 2025 rules. The new ICC rules, which are expected to be released next year, will also reflect a similar change in response users’ demand for more speed and efficiency. In 2024, SIAC received 143 requests for expedited procedures compared to 94 in 2023.

HKIAC said that the changes would help “enhance transparency” and enable “more users to apply for streamlined proceedings”. Analysis conducted by Pinsent Masons earlier this year indicated that Hong Kong and Singapore are Asia’s ‘premier seats’ for international arbitration.

Further, HKIAC raised its registration fee slightly to HK$10,000 (US$1,280), although this amount remains lower than the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC)’s registration fee – which stands at SG$3,000 (US$2,320) for overseas parties and SG$3,270 for Singaporean parties, respectively – and the registration fee offered by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which is $5,000.

HKIAC administrative fees remain capped at a maximum fee of HK$440,000 for disputes over HK$400million – which are also below equivalent caps enforced by the ICC and SIAC.

HKIAC also adjusted its hourly rate cap for arbitrators' fee slightly, noting that HKIAC is one of the few major institutions alongside the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) to offer an hourly rate fee model for arbitrators by default. ICC and SIAC both operate an ad valoremfee model, where the fee is calculated as a percentage of the value of a dispute.

In December 2025, HKIAC published a study (PDF 15 pages / 3.4 MB) on hourly rate of arbitrators in HKIAC-administrated arbitrations, which drew on administrated arbitrations under HKIAC and UNCITRAL rules over 5 years from 2020 to 2024 and examined the hourly rates charged by arbitrators in over 1,400 arbitrator appointments and confirmations over this period.

Although some results – including that sole arbitrators’ hourly rates are typically lower than those in a three- member tribunal – were expected, the study noted that hourly rates of HKIAC-appointed arbitrators were lower than those designated by the parties or co-arbitrators. The study also indicated that the cap set for hourly rates was also rarely exceeded, with approximately two-thirds of cases under HKIAC-administered arbitration rules applying rates below the cap set for hourly rates.

Karah Howard, an expert in international arbitration at Pinsent Masons, said these updates would help give HKIAC a competitive edge as a preferred forum for resolving disputes. “With rising fees and expert costs, and longer case durations prompting parties to prioritise early merits assessment, predictability, and proportionality, HKIAC’s careful approach to cost management-anchored in transparency and flexible fee structures, reflects a deliberate response to client demands for greater control and efficiency,” she said. Earlier this year, Howard made the case for choosing Hong Kong SAR as the seat of arbitration.

International arbitration expert Johanne Brocas of Pinsent Masons said these changes would further enhance the Hong Kong SAR’s attractiveness as a seat for international arbitration. “These enhancements build on Hong Kong’s enduring strengths: neutrality, a sophisticated legal system, and special arrangements with mainland China that facilitate enforcement of awards,” she said. “As highlighted in the latest Queen Mary University international arbitration survey and our own analysis, Hong Kong ranks among the top three global seats, supported by its arbitration-friendly courts and HKIAC’s innovative rules.” Brocas said that these updates helped “reinforce” Hong Kong’s reputation as a “cost-efficient, flexible, and strategically advantageous choice for international arbitration.”