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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

9 July 2019
(Last updated on 19 December 2019)

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 516/2019

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$34 billion - Sixth Batch of Products Excluded from 25% Tariffs

Further to Commercial Information Circular (CIC) Nos. 1163/2018, 209/2019, 300/2019, 372/2019 and 440/2019 of 28 December 2018, 21 March 2019, 18 April 2019, 15 May 2019 and 4 June 2019 respectively regarding the first to fifth batches of products excluded from the additional tariffs of 25% as imposed by the US on certain Mainland products worth approximately US$34 billion under the Section 301 investigation, the US Trade Representative (USTR) issued on 9 July 2019 a Federal Register (FR) notice announcing the sixth batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs. These product exclusions will be retroactive to 6 July 2018, and remain in place one year after the publication of the FR notice. The USTR will continue to issue decisions on pending requests on a periodic basis.

DETAILS

2.On 6 July 2018, the US imposed an additional tariff of 25% on 818 tariff lines of Mainland products worth approximately US$34 billion under the Section 301 investigation. The USTR also initiated an exclusion process for stakeholders to submit requests for the exclusion of specific products from the additional tariffs. Subsequently, the USTR announced five batches of excluded products in December 2018, March 2019, April 2019, May 2019 and June 2019. For details, please refer to CIC nos. 1163/2018, 209/2019, 300/2019, 372/2019, 440/2019 dated 28 December 2018, 21 March 2019, 18 April 2019, 15 May 2019 and 4 June 2019 respectively.

3.The USTR further announced on 9 July 2019 the sixth batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs. The products include 110 specially prepared product descriptions, covering heat exchangers; certain assemblies of heat recovery steam generators; compression-ignition engines; certain pumps and parts; compressors; fork-lift trucks; motor grader; self-propelled pneumatic compactors; certain shovel loaders; escalator drive assemblies; certain counterweights; certain seeder or spreader assemblies; chipper/shredder machines; malt production equipment; non-grooved pulleys; electric motors; transformers; hand-held transceivers; certain capacitors; momentary contact switches; aluminium and zinc anodes; Dental X-ray alignment and positioning apparatus; humidistats; etc.

4.These product exclusions will be retroactive to 6 July 2018, and remain in place one year after the publication of the FR notice. The exclusions are available for any product that meets the description set out in the exclusion, regardless of whether the importer filed an exclusion request. The USTR will continue to issue decisions on pending requests on a periodic basis.

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

  • FR notices on the sixth batch of products excluded from 25% tariff (9 July 2019) and subsequent amendments (17 December 2019):
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-07-09/pdf/2019-14562.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-12-17/pdf/2019-27070.pdf
  • US Customs and Border Protection's guidance note on filing entries subject to the sixth batch of product exclusions (10 July 2019):
    https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-250a9bc?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2?utm_source=csms.cbp.gov&utm_medium=csms.cbp.gov&utm_term=undefined&utm_content=undefined&utm_campaign=(not%20set)&gclid=undefined&dclid=undefined&GAID=1259433895.1563164570

ENQUIRIES

6.For enquiries concerning the content of this circular, please contact Miss K Y HO at telephone number 2398 5405.

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.