In 2012, 12,500 Hong Kong residents petitioned Obama to assist the city in avoiding a baby formula shortage. The petitioners stated that Hong Kong has been suffering from a baby formula shortage since 2008, and that the situation has gotten worse in recent years. They said that the shortage was caused by a high number of mainland Chinese parents purchasing baby formula in Hong Kong, and that the Chinese government was not doing enough to regulate the sale of baby formula in Hong Kong.
The petitioners asked Obama to put pressure on China's authorities to address the baby formula scarcity in Hong Kong.The baby formula scarcity in Hong Kong has been a problem for several years. The Hong Kong government adopted a baby formula rationing scheme in 2008, limiting the amount of formula that each household may purchase.
However, this did not resolve the issue, and the shortage persisted. The Hong Kong government implemented a new licencing system for infant formula stores in 2012, limiting the number of retailers who could sell baby formula. This system, however, was ineffective, and the newborn formula scarcity persisted.
The problem of baby formula shortage in Hong Kong is complex, and it is unclear how to fix it. However, the petitioners think that by increasing awareness of the issue and asking Obama to put pressure on the Chinese government to act, they may be able to help improve the situation.