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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

6 May 2020
(Last updated on 16 November 2020)

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 381/2020

US : Section 301 Tariffs on Mainland Products Worth US$200 billion - 13th Batch of Products Excluded from Additional Tariffs

The US Trade Representative (USTR) announced on 4 May 2020 the 13th batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs imposed on Mainland products worth approximately US$200 billion ("List 3") under the Section 301 investigation and the official Federal Register (FR) notice was issued on 8 May 2020. These product exclusions will be retroactive to 24 September 2018, and remain in place until 7 August 2020. The USTR will continue to issue decisions on pending requests on a periodic basis.

DETAILS

2.On 24 September 2018, the US imposed an additional tariff of 10% on Mainland imports worth approximately US$200 billion ("List 3") under the Section 301 investigation. The tariff was increased from 10% to 25% on 10 May 2019. 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 12 batches of excluded products from August 2019 to April 2020. For details, please refer to Commercial Information Circular nos. 594/2019, 703/2019, 771/2019, 811/2019, 858/2019, 900/2019, 12/2020, 89/2020, 138/2020, 218/2020, 249/2020 and 346/2020 dated 5 August 2019, 19 September 2019, 24 October 2019, 8 November 2019, 27 November 2019, 13 December 2019, 3 January 2020, 5 February 2020, 21 February 2020, 16 March 2020, 24 March 2020 and 24 April 2020 respectively.

3.On 4 May 2020, the USTR announced the 13th batch of products to be excluded from the additional tariffs. The products include two existing 10-digit HTSUS subheadings 4819.50.4060 and 6902.20.5020 covering certain packing containers and certain refractory blocks, tiles & similar goods; as well as 144 specially prepared product descriptions, covering certain processed food in powder form; certain chemical products; prepared pigment pastes; disposable cloths of nonwoven textile materials; artificial and natural graphite in powder form; floor coverings in the form of planks or tiles of vinyl; cases of man-made fibers; printable glitter paper; certain dyed sateen fabric; cylinders of ceramic; certain mirrors for vehicles; microscope slides; vacuum pumps; certain machine tool castings; molds of rubber or plastics; regulator valves for air pressure; certain power supplies; battery chargers; certain parts for motor vehicles and bicycle; Light-emitting diode ("LED") lamps; modular prefabricated buildings; etc.

4.These product exclusions will be retroactive to 24 September 2018, and remain in place until 7 August 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 notice:

  • FR notice on the 13th batch of products excluded from Section 301 tariffs (8 May 2020) and subsequent amendments (24 June 2020, 15 July 2020, 24 August 2020 and 13 November 2020):
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-05-08/pdf/2020-09828.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-06-24/pdf/2020-13596.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-07-15/pdf/2020-15288.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-08-24/pdf/2020-18517.pdf
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-11-13/pdf/2020-25068.pdf
  • US Customs and Border Protection's guidance note on filing entries for products excluded from Section 301 Tariffs (List 3) (13 May 2020):
    https://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCBP-28b7458?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.