CUSTOMS & TARIFFS & DUTIES

Trade Provisions Cut from Mainland China Bill, Could See Action Later this Year

26 July 2022

The trade community will have to keep waiting for congressional action on import tariff relief, low-value import rules, supply chain improvements, forced labour and other trade-related issues after the Senate moved to drop them from a competitiveness bill that lawmakers are now hoping to get to the president’s desk within a matter of weeks. More

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U.S. Export Controls and Section 232 Exclusions Expected Soon from Commerce

11 July 2022

U.S. export controls and exclusions from Section 232 tariffs are among the new items on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s most recent semi-annual regulatory agenda, which lists the following regulations affecting international trade that could be issued within the next year. More

hktdc research

Forced Labour and Other Customs Rules Expected Soon from CBP

05 July 2022

Implementation of forced labour enforcement and duty-free imports are among the regulations U.S. Customs and Border Protection anticipates publishing in the next few months. More

hktdc research

New Legislation Would Require Assessment of Inflationary Impact of Section 301 Tariffs

14 June 2022

Legislation introduced in the House of Representatives on 8 June by Rep. Murphy would require the U.S. Treasury Department to report to Congress within 60 days on the inflationary impact of the Section 301 tariffs on imports from mainland China, the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium, the Section 201 tariffs on solar panels and washing machines, and the expiration of the GSP programme. More

hktdc research

New UK Legislation Announced to Unilaterally Change Northern Ireland Protocol

01 June 2022

The UK's foreign secretary Liz Truss has delivered an oral statement to the UK Parliament, in which she announced the UK’s intention to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to make (unilateral) amendments to the Northern Ireland Protocol, while also stating that the UK’s preference remains a negotiated solution with the EU. Should the amendments be adopted, this could trigger a trade war with the EU. More

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Biden Eyes Changes to Mainland China Tariffs but Senators Say They Should Stay

30 May 2022

A bi-partisan group of senators is urging President Biden not to roll back the Section 301 tariffs on imports from mainland China even as he is considering changes as a way to ameliorate rising domestic inflation. More

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Hundreds of Section 301 Tariff Exclusions Reinstated Through 31 December

28 March 2022

More than 300 exclusions from the Section 301 tariffs on imports from mainland China have been retroactively reinstated. U.S. importers of covered goods can seek refunds of Section 301 tariffs paid on those goods, regardless of whether they requested the original exclusion. More

hktdc research

Review of Section 301 Tariffs on List 1 Goods Could Be Initiated Soon

11 March 2022

U.S. press reports indicate that President Biden is expected to soon initiate a review of the first tranche of tariffs (List 1) that were imposed on some US$34 billion worth of imports from mainland China on 6 July 2018. However, another option for the Biden administration would be to allow the current Section 301 measures to expire and initiate a brand new, more targeted investigation into mainland China’s practices. More

hktdc research

House Democrats Unveil Mainland China Legislation

27 January 2022

House of Representatives Democrats on 25 January unveiled draft legislation that includes a number of provisions of potential interest to Hong Kong and mainland Chinese exporters. The legislation may undergo various changes, some of them significant, before it is put up for a vote in the House as early as the week beginning on 31 January. If the bill is approved, it would have to be reconciled with the Senate version at conference. More

hktdc research

“Not There Yet” on Lifting Tariffs on Mainland China, President Biden Says

24 January 2022

President Biden is holding out the possibility of lifting some of the Section 301 tariffs on imports from mainland China but said in a 19 January press conference that “we’re not there yet.” He also said he wants to see that mainland China is “meeting … more of their commitments” under the bi-lateral phase one trade agreement that both sides concluded in 2020 before considering such action. More

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