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e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk
Ref. :EIC 111/3
EIC 111/3/13
28 April 2025
(Updated on 2 May 2025)
Dear Sirs,
Further to Commercial Information Circulars (CICs) No. 310/2025, 327/2025 and 346/2025 dated 3 April 2025, 9 April 2025 and 11 April 2025 respectively on US’ additional duties as applied to low-value imports from China (including products of Hong Kong) starting 2 May 2025, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published on 28 April 2025 a Federal Register (FR) notice to modify the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) on de minimis requirements with respect to products of China (which include products of Hong Kong).
DETAILS
2.On 2 April 2025, the US President signed an executive order announcing that duty-free de minimis treatment shall no longer be available for products of China (which include products of Hong Kong) on 2 May 2025 and such imported merchandise shall be subject to additional duties. Subsequently, on 8 and 9 April 2025, the US President signed two executive orders further increasing the de minimis tariff for covered products of China (including products of Hong Kong) starting 2 May 2025.
3.On 28 April 2025, the US CBP published an FR notice to modify the HTSUS on de minimis requirements with respect to products of China (which include products of Hong Kong). The amendments with respect to articles other than those sent to the US through the international postal network, as set out in the Annex to the FR notice, are effective with respect to products of China (which include products of Hong Kong). Such articles are valued at or under US$800, would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption, and entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on 2 May 2025. All applicable duties must be paid in accordance with the applicable entry and payment procedures.
4.With respect to postal items containing goods that are products of China (including products of Hong Kong) sent through the international postal network from China or Hong Kong, the duties set out in the Annex to the FR notice are effective for such articles that are entered for consumption on 2 May 2025, or 1 June 2025, as applicable. All relevant postal items containing goods and sent to the US through the international postal network from China or Hong Kong and transported by carriers, which are valued at or under US$800 and would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption, shall be subject to one of the following two duty rates as elected by the carrier:
The duty collected by such carrier will be collected in lieu of any other duties to which such shipments from China or Hong Kong would otherwise be subject, including: the 20% ad valorem duty effective from 4 March 2025 established in relevant Executive Orders on 1 February, 5 February and 3 March 2025; most-favored nation rates established in the HTSUS; and duties imposed pursuant to section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
5.For further details, please refer to the FR notice and the US CBP’s messages:
FR notice
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-04-28/pdf/2025-07325.pdf
US CBP’s Cargo Systems Messaging Service Message - Guidance: Federal Register Notice Published on De Minimis Requirements Per Executive Order 14256 and Guidance for Carriers Transporting International Mail
https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-3ddb3bc?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2
US CBP’s Cargo Systems Messaging Service Message - Reminder: De Minimis Restrictions for China and Hong Kong Effective May 2, 2025
https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-3de903b?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2
6.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact us at telephone number 2398 5405.
Yours faithfully,
(Miss Kwany KOU)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry
Note: While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the above information, the Department cannot guarantee this to be so and will not be held liable for any reliance placed on the same.