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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

29 August 2023

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 598/2023

US : Section 232 Tariffs on Imported Steel and Aluminium - Seeking Public Comments on Proposed Revisions to the Tariff Exclusions Process

Further to Commercial Information Circular (CIC) No. 873/2021 of 14 December 2021, the US Department of Commerce (DoC) announced on 28 August 2023 a proposed rule to revise aspects of the process for requesting exclusions from the duties and quantitative limitations on imports of aluminium and steel discussed in five previous US Bureau of Industry and Security (''BIS'') interim final rules under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (''Section 232''). As part of this proposed rule, BIS requests public comments on the proposed changes. Comments on this proposed rule must be received by BIS no later than 12 October 2023.

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.

3.On 28 August 2023, the US DoC published a proposed rule to propose revisions to the Section 232 exclusions process, including to the Section 232 Exclusions Portal. The key changes included in this proposed rule are: creating a more efficient General Approved Exclusions (GAE) process; introducing a General Denied Exclusions (GDE) process; introducing new certification requirements for exclusion requests; and proposing similar certification language on the objection form. As part of this proposed rule, BIS requests public comments on the proposed changes. Comments should only be submitted through the Federal eRulemaking website at http://www.regulations.gov (identified by docket number BIS-2023-0021 or RIN 0694-AJ27). Comments on this proposed rule must be received by BIS no later than 12 October 2023.

4.For further details, please refer to the Federal Register notice of 28 August 2023 at https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-08-28/pdf/2023-18328.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 Kwany KOU)
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.