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

28 September 2018

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 888/2018

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$200 billion - Modifications of Certain Tariff Lines under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States

Further to Commercial Information Circular (CIC) No.858/2018 of 18 September 2018 regarding the implementation of US' additional tariffs on certain Mainland products worth approximately US$200 billion under the Section 301 investigation (i.e. 10% starting from 24 September 2018 and will increase to 25% from 1 January 2019), the US Trade Representative (USTR) issued on 28 September 2018 a Federal Register (FR) notice to modify certain subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) that would be subject to the additional tariffs. The modifications include removing certain frozen salmon under subheadings 0304.81.10 and 0304.81.50 from the tariff list; and making conforming changes to certain subheadings covering certain wood products under headings 4401, 4403, 4406, 4407 and 4412.

DETAILS

2.On 21 September 2018, the USTR released the finalized list of Mainland products worth about US$200 billion which are subject to additional tariffs under the Section 301 investigation. The finalized list contains 5,745 full or partial lines, which are subject to an additional 10% tariff starting 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on 24 September 2018. Starting 1 January 2019, the level of the additional tariffs will increase to 25%.

3.The USTR issued on 28 September 2018 a FR notice to modify, among others, certain tariff lines of the HTSUS under the US$200 billion worth of Mainland products. According to the notice, the modifications include:

1. removing certain frozen salmon under subheadings 0304.81.10 and 0304.81.50 from the product list with effect from 24 September 2018, in order to account fully for the extensive public comments and testimony previously provided in the Section 301 investigation; and
2. deletion and insertion of subheadings covering certain wood products (including fuel wood; rough wood; railway wood; sawn wood; plywood; etc.) under headings 4401, 4403, 4406, 4407 and 4412, which will take effect on 1 October 2018. The modifications are to conform with certain changes to the commodity description and coding system adopted by the World Customs Organization.

4.For further details of the US' modifications of the HTSUS with respect to US $200 billion of Mainland products under Section 301 action, please refer to the relevant FR notices:

FR notice on US$200 billion list dated 21 September 2018:
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-09-21/pdf/2018-20610.pdf

FR notice on Conforming Amendment and Modification to Section 301 Action dated 28 September 2018:
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-09-28/pdf/2018-21303.pdf

ENQUIRIES

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

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Ivy TAM)
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.