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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Brand Hong Kong - Asia world city
MY COLOUR

Commercial Information Circulars

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 111/2/18, EIC 111/3, EIC 111/3/13

23 September 2009

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 477/2009

US : Product-Specific Safeguard Measures against Certain Passenger Vehicle and Light Truck Tires from the Mainland of China

The Executive Office of the US President published in the Federal Register (FR) notice of 17 September 2009 the "Proclamation 8414 of 11 September 2009" (the proclamation) announcing (i) the decision of the US President to impose an additional duty on imports of certain passenger vehicle and light truck tires (the subject tires) from the Mainland of China for three years and (ii) the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) is modified to apply the additional duty. The US President's decision will take effect on 26 September 2009. A copy of the FR notice is at Annex A (pdf format) appended to this circular for reference.

DETAILS

  1.  
  2. Pursuant to Section 421 of the US Trade Act, the US President signed the proclamation on 11 September 2009 to provide import relief to domestic labour groups by imposing additional duty on the subject tires from the Mainland of China for three years to address market disruption. The additional duty is 35% ad valorem the first year (from 26 September 2009 to 25 September 2010), 30% ad valorem the second year (from 26 September 2010 to 25 September 2011) and 25% ad valorem the third and final year (from 26 September 2011 to 25 September 2012). This duty is in addition to the general rate (the existing rate is at 3.4% or 4%) provided in column one of the HTSUS. 
     
  3. In order to collect the additional duty described above, the proclamation modifies the HTSUS by adding a new US note, number 14, and two new subheadings, 9903.40.05 and 9903.40.10 to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS. Specifically, the tires subject to this additional duty are new pneumatic tires, of rubber, from the Mainland of China, of a kind used on motor cars (except racing cars) and on-the-highway light trucks, vans, and sport utility vehicles. These tires are classified in HTSUS subheadings 4011.10.10, 4011.10.50, 4011.20.10 and 4011.20.50. The modifications to the HTSUS made by the proclamation, including the Annex thereto, shall be effective with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 26 September 2009, and shall continue in effect as provided in the proclamation and its Annex, unless such actions are earlier expressly modified or terminated.
     
  4. Separately, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted on 17 September 2009 a news release entitled "CBP Advises Importers of Additional 35 Percent Ad Valorem Duties on Chinese Tires" to its website at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/09172009_3.xml to inform the trade that the CBP will assess an additional 35% ad valorem duty on certain tires of Chinese origin entered or withdrawn from warehouses on or after 26 September 2009. A copy of the news release is at Annex B (pdf format) appended to this circular for reference.

ENQUIRIES

  1. For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 2398 5682.

Yours faithfully,




(Miss Bonny CHAO)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry