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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
CR EIC 111/1/13/3

11 July 2018

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 681/2018

US : Proposed Tariff Lists on Certain Products of Mainland China Subject to 10% Additional Tariffs under Section 301 Investigation

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 582/2018 of 19 June 2018 regarding two sets of US tariff lines of Mainland products worth US$50 billion subject to an additional 25% tariff under the US' Section 301 investigation, the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced on 10 July 2018 to take further actions by proposing an additional 10% tariff on 6,031 tariff lines of Mainland products worth approximately US$200 billion.  The proposed tariff will undergo public comments and hearing process before a decision is made. 

DETAILS

2.The USTR released on 15 June 2018 two sets of US tariff lines of Mainland products for additional tariffs of 25% under the US' Section 301 investigation into China's intellectual property issues. The first set, which took effect on 6 July 2018, contains 818 tariff lines for an additional tariff of 25%. The second set contains 284 proposed tariff lines which will undergo further review in a public notice and comment process, including a public hearing, before a final determination on the finalized product list that would be subject to the additional duties.

3.On the US President's instruction, the USTR announced on 10 July 2018 to take further actions by proposing an additional 10% tariff on approximately US$200 billion worth of Mainland products which involve 6,031 US tariff lines.

4.The proposed list of Mainland products of US$200 billion will undergo public comments and hearing process prior to the imposition of tariffs. In this regard, the USTR is inviting public comments from interested persons with respect to any aspect of the proposed action, including:

  • The specific products to be subject to increased duties, including whether products listed in the Annex should be retained or removed, or whether products not currently on the list should be added;
  • The level of the increase, if any, in the rate of duty; and
  • The appropriate aggregate level of trade to be covered by additional duties.

5.Written comments to the USTR must be in English and be sent electronically via www.regulations.gov (the docket number is USTR-2018-0026) by 17 August 2018. In addition, public hearings will be held in Washington DC from 20-23 August 2018. The request to appear must be submitted by 27 July 2018. Post-hearing rebuttal comments can also be submitted by 30 August 2018.

6.For further details of the US' actions in response to the Section 301 investigation, please refer to the relevant USTR press release and notice:

USTR statement
https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2018/july/statement-us-trade-representative

USTR notice
https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/301/2018-0026%20China%20FRN%207-10-2018_0.pdf

ENQUIRIES

7.For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at 3403 6099.

Yours faithfully,

(Jasper LAM)
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.