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

3 June 2019
(updated on 26 April 2021)

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 426/2019

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$200 billion - Extension of Time for Higher Tariff (from 10% to 25%) to 15 June 2019

Further to Commercial Information Circular (CIC) No. 358/2019 dated 10 May 2019 regarding the implementation of the additional tariffs in certain scenarios, the US Trade Representative (USTR) issued a press release on 31 May 2019 that it intends to extend the amount of time certain Mainland products have to enter the US before they will be subject to an additional tariff increase from 10% to 25%. With the extension, the subject products that were exported from the Mainland to the US prior to 10 May 2019 will remain subject to an additional 10% tariff if they enter into the US before 15 June 2019 (originally 1 June 2019). USTR formally published a Federal Register (FR) Notice on 10 June 2019 on the above extension.

DETAILS

2.The USTR announced on 9 May 2019 that the US will increase the additional tariffs (from 10% to 25%) with respect to the Mainland goods worth approximately US$200 billion (i) entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on 10 May 2019, and (ii) exported to the US on or after 10 May 2019.

3.On 15 May 2019, the US Customs and Border Protection and the USTR issued guidance to clarify the implementation of the additional tariffs in certain scenarios. According to the guidance, for subject goods that were exported to the US before 10 May 2019, and entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on 10 May 2019, and before 1 June 2019, the 10% tariff rate will still apply.

4.On 31 May 2019, the USTR issued a press release that it intends to extend the amount of time certain Mainland products have to enter the US before they will be subject to an additional tariff increase from 10% to 25%. With the extension, the subject products that were exported from the Mainland to the US prior to 10 May 2019 will remain subject to an additional 10% tariff if they enter into the US before 15 June 2019 (originally 1 June 2019). The USTR formally issued a FR Notice on the above extension on 10 June 2019.

5.For further details, please refer to the relevant notices:

  • USTR's press release on 31 May 2019:
    https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2019/may/notice-regarding-application-section
  • FR notice on 10 June 2019:
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-06-10/pdf/2019-12104.pdf
  • USTR's technical amendment on 26 April 2021:
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-04-26/pdf/2021-08603.pdf

ENQUIRIES

6.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.