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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

30 September 2019
(Last updated on 21 August 2020)

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 724/2019

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$34 billion - Eighth Batch of Products Excluded from Additional Tariffs

The US Trade Representative (USTR) announced on 27 September 2019 the eighth batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs imposed on Mainland products worth approximately US$34 billion ("List 1") under the Section 301 investigation. These product exclusions will be retroactive to 6 July 2018, and remain in place until 2 October 2020. 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 ("List 1") 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 seven batches of excluded products in December 2018, March 2019, April 2019, May 2019, June 2019, July 2019 and September 2019. For details, please refer to Commercial Information Circular nos. 1163/2018, 209/2019, 300/2019, 372/2019, 440/2019, 516/2019 and 701/2019 dated 28 December 2018, 21 March 2019, 18 April 2019, 15 May 2019, 4 June 2019, 9 July 2019 and 19 September 2019 respectively.

3.The USTR further announced on 27 September 2019 the eighth batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs. The products include 92 specially prepared product descriptions, covering unlimited rotary acting hydraulic motors; stainless steel bushings; quench casings for furnace burners; water filtering apparatus; gas treatment process modules; thermal oxidizer modules (TOx); tractor shovel loaders; cement retainer assemblies; wheel and tire assemblies; parts of fertilizer distributors; machines for slitting metal; woodworking planers; extrusion machines for processing rubber; safety valves; DC electric motors; Multi-phase AC motors; contact sensors; push-button switches; digital optical fiber cables; booths; etc. On 17 December 2019 and 11 February 2020, the USTR further granted an additional product exclusion in the form of 10-digit HTSUS subheading (i.e. 9030.90.4600) and four specially prepared product descriptions covering certain pumps; furnace roll end-shafts of steel and multi-phase AC motors respectively.

4.These product exclusions will be retroactive to 6 July 2018, and remain in place until 2 October 2020. 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 notice on the eighth batch of products excluded from Section 301 tariffs (2 October 2019) and subsequent amendment (13 August 2020):
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-10-02/pdf/2019-21420.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-08-13/pdf/2020-17657.pdf
  • Additional product exclusion granted on 17 December 2019:
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-12-17/pdf/2019-27070.pdf
  • Additional product exclusion granted on 11 February 2020 and subsequent amendment (15 July 2020):
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-02-11/pdf/2020-02684.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-15/pdf/2020-15289.pdf
  • US Customs and Border Protection's guidance note on filing entries for products excluded from Section 301 Tariffs (List 1) (21 October 2019):
    https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-26764a3?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2
  • US Customs and Border Protection's guidance note on additional product exclusions under List 1 (3 March 2020):
    https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-27f03be?wgt_ref=USDHSCBP_WIDGET_2

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.