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

26 February 2019
(updated on 6 March 2019)

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 159/2019

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$200 billion - Delaying the Tariff Increase (from 10% to 25% ) Originally Scheduled for 2 March

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 1093/2018 regarding the postponement of the tariff increase from 10% to 25%, the US President announced on 24 February 2019 that he would delay the deadline (originally set to take effect on 2 March 2019) for increasing the additional tariffs from 10% to 25% on certain Mainland products worth approximately US$200 billion under the Section 301 investigation. According to the Federal Register (FR) notice of 5 March 2019, the rate of the additional tariffs will remain at 10% until further notice.

DETAILS

2.The US announced on 1 December 2018 that it planned to increase the additional tariffs from 10% to 25% on 2 March 2019 on certain Mainland products worth approximately US$200 billion under the Section 301 investigation, if its negotiations with Mainland China were unable to reach an agreement by 1 March 2019.

3.After the latest round of trade talks held by Mainland China and the US on 21-24 February 2019, the US President remarked that substantial progress was made, and that he would delay the 2 March 2019 deadline for increasing the additional tariffs from 10% to 25% on certain Mainland products worth approximately US$200 billion. He also plans to have a summit with President Xi to further the trade negotiations. Subsequently, the US Trade Representative issued on 5 March 2019 a FR notice to announce that the rate of the additional tariffs will remain at 10% until further notice.

4.For further details, please refer to the relevant FR notice at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-03-05/pdf/2019-03935.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.