relative file path for layout
Skip to main content  Skip to search  Skip to main menu
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

16 March 2020
(Last updated on 13 July 2020)

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 217/2020

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$300 billion - Second Batch of Products Excluded from Additional Tariffs under List 4A

The US Trade Representative (USTR) announced on 12 March 2020 the second batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs imposed on Mainland products under List 4A and the official Federal Register (FR) notice was issued on 17 March 2020. These product exclusions will apply as of 1 September 2019 until 1 September 2020. The USTR will continue to issue decisions on pending requests on a periodic basis.

DETAILS

2.On 1 September 2019, the US imposed 15% additional tariffs on Mainland products under List 4A (worth about US$120 billion).  As the US and China had reached a Phase One trade agreement in January 2020, the tariffs for List 4A were reduced to 7.5% on 14 February 2020 and the US also suspended indefinitely its plan to impose additional tariffs on Mainland products under List 4B (worth about US$160 billion).  The USTR had initiated an exclusion process under List 4A for stakeholders to submit requests for the exclusion of specific products from the additional tariffs.  Subsequently, the first batch of excluded products was announced in March 2020.  For details, please refer to Commercial Information Circular nos. 758/2019, 902/2019, 62/2020, and 191/2020 dated 21 October 2019, 16 December 2019, 16 January 2020 and 10 March 2020 respectively.

3.On 12 March 2020, the USTR announced the second batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs.  The products include 19 specially prepared product descriptions, covering bowls of molded plastics for surgical procedures; disposable graduated medicine dispensing cups of plastics; pads of foam plastics; single-use sterile drapes and covers of plastics; cold packs combined with a textile exterior lining; disposable shoe and boot covers of man-made fiber fabrics; eye compresses; single-use face masks of textile fabrics; gel pads of textile materials; single-use hot packs of textile material; laparotomy sponges of cotton; single-use medical masks of textile material; protective articles; etc.

4.These product exclusions will apply as of 1 September 2019 until 1 September 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 notices on the second batch of products under List 4A excluded from Section 301 tariffs (17 March 2020) and subsequent amendments (13 May 2020 and 10 July 2020):
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-03-17/pdf/2020-05451.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-05-13/pdf/2020-10235.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-10/pdf/2020-14916.pdf
  • US Customs and Border Protection's guidance note on filing entries for products excluded from Section 301 Tariffs (List 4A) (17 March 2020):
    https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-281a788?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.