Made in China: US Reclassifies Hong Kong Exports Amid Push to Alter Beijing’s WTO Status
Due to US President Donald Trump’s recent executive order revoking Hong Kong’s special status, exports from the special administrative region may be “marked to indicate ‘China’” as their place of origin, according to a new memo issued by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
“[In] light of the President's Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization, issued on July 14, 2020, suspending the application of section 201(a) of the United States-Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 to the marking statute, section 304 of the Tariff Act of 1930, with respect to imported goods produced in Hong Kong, such goods may no longer be marked to indicate ‘Hong Kong’ as their origin, but must be marked to indicate ‘China,’” the memo summary read.
Though published on August 11, the release noted that the details laid out have been applicable to relevant goods since July 29.
Trump’s executive order came about as a retaliatory measure against Beijing for its passing of the new national security law in Hong Kong, which bans the funding of political groups in the special administrative region by outside financiers, among other things.
“Hong Kong will now be treated the same as mainland China,” Trump said during a July news conference announcing his executive order.
“No special privileges, no special economic treatment, and no export of sensitive technologies.”
The Hong Kong government delivered a statement to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Tuesday, arguing that the US is sowing “confusion and harming the interests of all parties, including the United States itself,” according to the South China Morning Post.
The government went on to say that the reclassification of Hong Kong exports “reflected the US’ disregard for Hong Kong’s status as a separate member of the WTO” and “may not comply with WTO regulations.”
“If necessary, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will not rule out taking actions in accordance with WTO rules to safeguard Hong Kong’s interests,” the government warned.
The US president said Monday that Washington has “already put in a request [with the WTO] that China should no longer be declared a developing nation and have advantages over the US.”
“And I told them that a year ago, and I told them that two years ago, and we put it in very powerfully that they should not have advantages over other countries, frankly, and they’re not gonna have any more advantages,” he added, as reported by the New York Post.
- Source : Sputniknews.com
