Hong Kong authorities have urged the US to “rectify” the imposition of additional tariffs on the city’s goods, saying the new policy targeting Chinese exports ignored Hong Kong’s status as a separate customs territory.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, the Hong Kong government expressed “strong disapproval” towards US President Donald Trump’s executive order, which slapped an additional 10 per cent levy on mainland Chinese and Hong Kong products.
The government said Hong Kong had maintained close economic interactions with the US. In 2023, the US was the city’s third largest trading partner, with the total merchandise trade value amounting to US$60.3 billion (HK$469.2 billion).
The city warned that if Washington did not “rectify its wrongdoing,” it may take “all possible actions” to defend its interests, including considering taking the matter to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
“As a founding member of the WTO, the HKSAR has all along been upholding the principle of free and unimpeded trade. We strongly oppose any attempts to undermine Hong Kong’s reputation and erode our status as a separate customs territory,” the government’s statement read.
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Algernon Yau repeated similar calls to the US in a radio programme on Thursday. Speaking on RTHK, Yau said the US ignored Hong Kong’s separate customs territory status, which was recognised by the WTO.
The minister said Hong Kong wanted to develop a fair relationship with its trading partners, adding that “there is no winner” in a trade war.
The tariff policy “not only fails to meet the standards of the WTO, it also harms the interests of different parties, including the US,” Yau said in Cantonese.
China responded to the US tariffs on Tuesday with a 15 per cent levy on American coal and liquefied natural gas products from next Monday, alongside a 10 per cent levy on crude oil, agricultural machinery and large-engine cars from the US.
On Wednesday, the US Postal Service announced it would resume accepting packages from China and Hong Kong, hours after the service was temporarily halted. The suspension came after a “de minimis” allowance – which exempts small packages worth under US$800 (HK$6,230) from US duties – was revoked under Trump’s tariffs.
