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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

30 September 2019
(Last updated on 17 July 2020)

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 725/2019

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$16 billion - Third Batch of Products Excluded from Additional Tariffs

The US Trade Representative (USTR) announced on 27 September 2019 the third batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs imposed on Mainland products worth approximately US$16 billion ("List 2") under the Section 301 investigation and the official Federal Register (FR) notice was issued on 2 October 2019.  These product exclusions will be retroactive to 23 August 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 23 August 2018, the US imposed an additional tariff of 25% on 279 tariff lines of Mainland products worth approximately US$16 billion ("List 2") 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 two batches of excluded products in July and September 2019.  For details, please refer to Commercial Information Circular nos. 576/2019 and 702/2019 dated 30 July 2019 and 19 September 2019 respectively.

3.The USTR announced on 27 September 2019 the third batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs.  The products include 111 specially prepared product descriptions, covering pet urine collection and disposal kits; elastomeric petroleum resins; self-adhesive tape; fence panels of galvanized steel; steel chain-link fence panels; spark ignition internal combustion engines; mortising machines; electric motors; universal AC/DC electric motors; DC electric motors; humidity triggered switches; certain buffering/cushioning units; thermometers; multimeters without a recording device; GPS wireless diagnostic tools; etc.  On 25 February 2020, the USTR further granted a specially prepared product description - skateboards with electric power for propulsion, of a power not exceeding 250 W. Moreover, silicones in primary forms under HTS subheading 3910.00.0000, are fully excluded.

4.These product exclusions will be retroactive to 23 August 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 third batch of products excluded from Section 301 tariffs (2 October 2019) and subsequent amendments (13 May 2020 and 16 July 2020):
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-10-02/pdf/2019-21419.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-05-13/pdf/2020-10231.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-16/pdf/2020-15320.pdf
  • Additional product exclusions announced on 25 February 2020 and 16 July 2020:
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-02-25/pdf/2020-03680.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-16/pdf/2020-15320.pdf
  • US Customs and Border Protection's guidance note on filing entries for products excluded from Section 301 Tariffs (List 2) (11 October 2019):
    https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-26589f1?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.