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

28 January 2021

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 74/2021

US : Section 232 Tariff on Aluminum Articles -  Delay of effective date (until 29 March 2021) and seeking comments on Aluminum Import Monitoring and Analysis (AIM) System

Further to Commercial Information Circular (CIC) No. 914/2020 of 24 December 2020, the US Department of Commerce (DoC) issued a Federal Register (FR) notice on 27 January 2021 to announce that the effective date of the Aluminum Import Monitoring and Analysis (AIM) system is delayed from 25 January 2021 until 29 March 2021. The US DoC is also soliciting comments on the AIM system by 26 February 2021.

DETAILS

2.The US imposed additional tariffs of 25% and 10% on steel and aluminum products respectively imported from all countries/economies (except certain economies) on 23 March 2018 under the Section 232 investigation. For details, please refer to CIC Nos. 264/2018 and 90/2020 dated 16 March 2018 and 6 February 2020 respectively.

3.On 29 April 2020, the US DoC sought public comments on a proposed AIM system to cover all imports of basic aluminum products, including aluminum articles subject to Section 232 tariff, with the objective of facilitating the monitoring of imports of aluminum articles. For details, please refer to CIC No. 368/2020 dated 4 May 2020.

4.On 23 December 2020, the US DoC announced that it adopts the AIM system that consists of an online aluminum import license application platform and public AIM monitor. The new regulations require importers, customs brokers or their agents to apply for and obtain an automatically issued license via the AIM system website for each entry of certain aluminum products into the US. For details, please refer to CIC No. 914/2020 dated 24 December 2020.

5.On 27 January 2021, the US DoC issued an FR notice to announce that the effective date of the AIM system is delayed from 25 January 2021 until 29 March 2021. The US DoC is also soliciting comments on the AIM system by 26 February 2021. Comments should only be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.Regulations.gov (Docket Number is ITA-2021-0001).

6.For details, please refer to the FR notice:
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-27/pdf/2021-01804.pdf

ENQUIRIES

7.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.