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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

25 May 2020

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 418/2020

US : Section 232 Tariffs on Imported Steel and Aluminium - Seeking Public Comments on Effectiveness of Exclusion Process

The US Department of Commerce (DoC) announced on 22 May 2020 that it would seek public comments on how to improve the exclusion process for tariffs and quotas imposed on steel and aluminium imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 ("Section 232"). Comments should be submitted to the US from 26 May 2020 to 10 July 2020 (US time).

DETAILS

2.The US imposed additional tariffs of 25% and 10% on steel and aluminium products respectively imported from all countries/economies (except certain economies which are fully exempted or subject to quotas) on 23 March 2018 under the Section 232 investigation. The US further included certain derivatives of steel and aluminium products for the additional tariffs on 8 February 2020. The US DoC has also developed an exclusion process for manufacturers to submit requests for the exclusion of specific products from the additional tariffs. For details, please refer to Commercial Information Circular Nos. 264/2018, 283/2018 and 90/2020 dated 16 March 2018, 20 March 2018 and 6 February 2020 respectively.

3.On 22 May 2020, the US DoC announced that it would seek public comments on how to improve the exclusion process for tariffs and quotas imposed on imported steel and aluminium under Section 232, including the appropriateness of the information requested and considered in applying the exclusion criteria, and the efficiency and transparency of the process employed in rendering decisions on requests for exclusions and quotas imposed. Comments may be submitted to the Federal rulemaking portal (www.regulations.gov) from 26 May 2020 to 10 July 2020. The Docket Number is BIS-2020-0012. Rebuttal comments will be accepted until 10 August 2020.

4.For details, please refer to the relevant press release and Federal Register (FR) notice:

  • Press release (22 May 2020):
    https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2020/05/department-commerce-asks-public-input-section-232-steel-and-aluminum
  • FR notice (for publish on 26 May 2020):
    https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2020-05-26/pdf/2020-11173.pdf

ENQUIRIES

5.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.