On October 5, 2026, CGC announced that it now grades trading card games, Pokémon included, at its office in Hong Kong instead of shipping them to its headquarters in Florida. The price list did not change: as of October 8, 2026, $17 a card in bulk (25 cards or more) and $20 at Economy, with an estimated 50 working days at every tier. Sports cards, non-sports cards and mixed orders still go to Florida.
Twenty days after PSA opened Frankfurt to collectors in the European Union, a Pokémon card from the EU no longer has to cross to the United States for a PSA or CGC slab, and one from East or Southeast Asia no longer has to for a CGC slab. PSA's one grading site in Asia is in Tokyo, for residents of Japan; orders from Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea and much of Southeast Asia go through Hong Kong to California.
What CGC offers in Hong Kong
| Tier | Covers cards worth up to | Hong Kong | Florida | On site at a show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulk, 25 cards minimum | $500 | $17, 50 days | $17, 150 days | $30 |
| Economy | $1,000 | $20, 50 days | $20, 90 days | $35 |
| Standard | $3,000 | $47, 50 days | $55, 10 days | $80 |
| Express | $10,000 | $90, 50 days | $100, 5 days | $150 |
| WalkThrough | $100,000 | $275, 50 days | $300, 2 days | $400 |
Fees per card in US dollars for free members and CGC's estimated turnaround in working days, as of October 8, 2026; Associate and Premium members save 10%, Elite members 20%. Florida: CGC's US price list. Show prices: on-site grading at the Asia Super Collectors Convention in Macau, October 9 to 11, 2026, where cards handed in by October 9 can be collected at the show.
Full time is the new part. CGC has taken card submissions full time in Hong Kong since May 8, 2024, but graded them in Florida, apart from on-site events at its office and at local shows since November 2024. It has graded cards in Shanghai, for mainland China, since July 16, 2024, and card games in Munich, for the European Union, since January 12, 2026.
- Only card games stay in Hong Kong. Sports cards, non-sports cards and mixed orders still ship to Florida and back, insured, at the same fees: CGC charges nothing extra for the local grading.
- The price list had not moved by October 8, 2026. It showed the same fees and the same 50 working days at every tier as on July 11, 2026, when regular submissions still went to Florida. The trip is shorter; the estimate on the page is not.
- To submit directly, you need a CGC Hong Kong account, free or paid (from $39 a year). Fees are in US dollars, paid by Visa, Mastercard or bank transfer. Authorized dealers also take orders.
- Cards are collected at the office, by appointment, or shipped back. CGC's Hong Kong return rates cover 13 places: $37 for up to 10 cards declared at $5,000 or less to mainland China, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand, $40 to Japan, Indonesia and Vietnam, and $57 to Mongolia and Myanmar, with insurance arranged by CGC.
- The trip in is yours to insure. CGC is liable only once it has received and inspected the parcel, and it cannot insure cards against seizure by customs.
- CrossOver and ReHolder are offered. CGC moves cards from PSA, Beckett and SGC slabs into its own only at the same grade or higher, unless you ask otherwise (the tier's fee, charged even when a card stays in its old slab; an estimated 45 working days), and reholders its own slabs for $12.
The office, which CGC's parent group runs as CCG Hong Kong, is open by appointment only, Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (phone or WhatsApp: +852 2115 3639):
CCG Hong Kong, Suite 1208-10, 12/F, Tower 1, The Gateway, Harbour City, 25 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong
PSA's Hong Kong center, on the same street at 33 Canton Road, does not grade: it sends the cards to Santa Ana, California.
A Japanese Pokémon cardGem Mint 10 on CGC's standard label
A One Piece cardPristine 10, CGC's top grade, on its gold labelWho grades where, as of October 8, 2026
| Grader | United States | Europe | Asia | A regional label? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | Grades; direct orders from outside the US paused since April 2025 | Frankfurt grades; EU collectors submit directly since September 15, 2026 | Tokyo grades for residents of Japan; the Hong Kong center sends other orders to California | None described |
| CGC | Florida headquarters grades every card type | Munich grades card games since January 12, 2026, for the EU only | Hong Kong grades card games, announced October 5, 2026; Shanghai grades cards for mainland China since July 2024 | None described |
| Beckett | Plano, Texas; only Express open | Lage, Germany; EU online submissions unavailable | None listed | Not stated |
| TAG | Los Angeles; direct orders from the US and Canada only | UK partners ship to Los Angeles | One Hong Kong partner ships to Los Angeles | No, one grading site |
| SGC | Boca Raton, Florida | None listed | None listed | No, one grading site |
From each grader's own pages, October 8, 2026. In Europe, ACE also grades in England, and PCA and CCC in France.
Of these five, CGC is the one grading in Hong Kong itself. PSA and CGC describe no regional version of their slabs, and a card graded in Frankfurt, Munich, Tokyo or Hong Kong is looked up by its certification number like any other. What each label sells for is in our guide to slabs and grading scales.
What changes for collectors in Asia
- Hong Kong. As of October 5, 2026, a Pokémon or One Piece card handed in to CGC in Tsim Sha Tsui is graded there, while a PSA order handed in on the same street still travels to California and back.
- Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and most of Southeast Asia. For card games, CGC's Hong Kong office becomes a grading room instead of a relay. PSA has required these customers to use its Hong Kong center since February 18, 2026; their cards are graded in California and come back through Hong Kong.
- Japan. PSA grades in Tokyo, for residents of Japan only: Standard costs ¥9,980 a card (about $63), tax included, for an estimated 100 business days, as of October 8, 2026. CGC lists no office in Japan and takes Japanese orders through official submission centers; its Hong Kong return rates include Japan. Our guide to Japanese Pokémon cards covers the cards themselves.
- Mainland China. CGC has graded cards in Shanghai since July 2024, submitted through authorized dealers and official submission centers, at prices in yuan. PSA's page for its Hong Kong center is unclear on mainland China.
- Customs. Hong Kong charges no customs duty and no VAT or GST on cards coming in or going out. The return leg is still an import into your own country, under its own rules.
What changes in Europe
Inside the European Union, PSA and CGC both grade locally. EU collectors have submitted directly to PSA in Frankfurt since September 15, 2026, and CGC has graded card games in Munich since January 12, 2026. As of October 8, 2026, PSA's Standard costs €49.99 at the introductory price, most likely VAT included, for an estimated 80 to 90 business days, and CGC's Economy €22.61, VAT included, for 50 working days. CGC's Munich office cannot receive or send submissions outside the EU, and it still sends sports cards and mixed orders to Florida. Beckett grades in Lage, Germany, but its EU online submissions were unavailable on October 8, 2026. Prices, VAT and addresses are in our PSA Frankfurt guide; which grader suits which card is in our comparison of PSA, CGC, BGS and TAG.
Before Worlds 2027 in Singapore
The 2027 World Championships run August 13 to 15, 2027, at Singapore EXPO. Neither PSA nor CGC grades in Singapore: PSA sends Singapore's orders through Hong Kong to California, and card games sent from Singapore to CGC's Hong Kong office are graded there. As of October 8, 2026, we found no grader announcing on-site grading or a booth at Worlds 2027; PSA's published event lists for October to December 2026 name only North American shows, and CGC's events list has no Singapore date. CGC's next on-site grading in the region is at the Asia Super Collectors Convention in Macau, October 9 to 11, 2026, its third year there. Qualifying, dates and travel are in our Worlds 2027 guide.
How we got here
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| May 8, 2024 | CGC takes card submissions full time in Hong Kong; the cards are graded in Florida |
| July 16, 2024 | CGC begins grading cards full time in Shanghai, for mainland China |
| November 4 to 6, 2024 | First CGC on-site grading at its Hong Kong office |
| April 3, 2025 | PSA pauses direct orders to its US facilities from outside the United States, citing US tariffs |
| November 2025 | PSA opens a Hong Kong submission center; the cards are graded in California |
| January 12, 2026 | CGC begins grading card games full time in Munich, for the EU |
| February 18, 2026 | PSA requires most Asia-Pacific customers outside Japan to submit through Hong Kong |
| September 15, 2026 | PSA Frankfurt opens to collectors in the EU |
| October 5, 2026 | CGC announces full-time card game grading in Hong Kong |
FAQ
Does CGC grade cards in Hong Kong?
Yes, card games, at its office on Canton Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, as CGC announced on October 5, 2026. Sports cards, non-sports cards and mixed orders are still graded in Florida.
Is a CGC slab graded in Hong Kong the same as one graded in the US?
CGC describes no Hong Kong version of its holder or label, and a Hong Kong slab is checked in the same certification database. CGC says its Hong Kong graders, moved from its other sites or trained locally, grade to its global standards; sales will show whether buyers agree.
How long does CGC take in Hong Kong?
CGC estimated 50 working days at every tier on October 8, 2026, the same as in July, before grading moved to Hong Kong. On-site grading at shows is faster and costs more ($35 at Economy in Macau, October 9 to 11, 2026).
Can I send cards to CGC Hong Kong from Singapore or Japan?
Yes. To submit directly you need a CGC Hong Kong account, which can be free, and you insure the parcel on the way in. CGC ships graded cards back, insured, to 13 places in Asia, from $37 for up to 10 cards to Singapore and $40 to Japan, as of October 8, 2026.
Does PSA grade cards in Hong Kong?
No. PSA's Hong Kong center takes orders and sends the cards to Santa Ana, California, for grading, then back through Hong Kong. Since February 18, 2026, PSA has required most Asia-Pacific customers outside Japan to use it.
Can I submit to PSA Japan from outside Japan?
No. PSA Japan takes orders only from people living in Japan, and direct orders to PSA's US facilities from outside the United States have been paused since April 2025; both rules still stood on October 8, 2026.
Where does CGC grade cards?
As of October 8, 2026: every card type at its Florida headquarters, cards for mainland China in Shanghai, and card games in Munich, for the EU, and in Hong Kong. Its London and Dubai offices take submissions too.
