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Trade and Industry Department The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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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

7 February 2022

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 111/2022

US : Extension of Safeguard Measure on Solar Cells and Modules effective 7 February 2022

Further to Commercial Information Circular No. 120/2018 of 24 January 2018, the President signed a Proclamation on 4 February 2022 to extend the safeguard measure on Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic (CSPV) cells and modules, from 7 February 2022 to 6 February 2026.

DETAILS

2.     Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the US President to take action, in the form of tariffs, tariff rate quotas, quantitative restrictions or other actions, in response to an US International Trade Commission's determination that increased imports are a substantial cause of serious injury to domestic producers. 
 
3.     On 7 February 2018, at the US President’s instructions, the US implemented a safeguard measure for a period of 4 years (until 6 February 2022) that included both a tariff rate quota (TRQ) on imports of certain CSPV cells and an increase in duties on imports of CSPV cells exceeding the TRQ and all imports of other CSPV products, including modules.
 
4.     On 4 February 2022, the US President signed a Proclamation under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 to extend the safeguard measure, i.e. a TRQ for CSPV cells, and an additional duty for CSPV modules, from 7 February 2022 to 6 February 2026.  On the same day, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) set out details of the measure as below:

CSPV Cells (quota)
  • Restraint Level: An annual aggregate quantity of 5.0 gigawatts
  • Duty Rate for In Quota for cells (low rate): No change
  • Duty Rates for Over Quota for cells (high Rate):
Entry Period (DD/MM/YY)
07/02/22-06/02/23 07/02/23-06/02/24 07/02/24-06/02/25 07/02/25-06/02/26
14.75% 14.50% 14.25% 14.00%
CSPV modules (additional duty)
  • Non-quota entry types
  • Additional Duty Rates for CSPV Modules:
Entry Period (DD/MM/YY)
07/02/22-06/02/23 07/02/23-06/02/24 07/02/24-06/02/25 07/02/25-06/02/26
14.75% 14.50% 14.25% 14.00%

5.     For details, please refer to the relevant notices:

  • Presidential Proclamation on 4 February 2022:
    https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/02/04/a-proclamation-to-continue-facilitating-positive-adjustment-to-competition-from-imports-of-certain-crystalline-silicon-photovoltaic-cells-whether-or-not-partially-or-fully-assembled-into-other-produc/ 
  • US CBP’s notice of 4 February 2022:
    https://www.cbp.gov/trade/quota/bulletins/qb-22-507-solar-cells-and-modules-2022

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.