(ECNS) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Wednesday expressed strong disapproval of the U.S.’ imposition of additional 10 percent duty on Hong Kong products.
A spokesman for the HKSAR government said the duty, set out in the Federal Register notice (the "FR Notice") of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security ignores the basic fact that Hong Kong is a separate customs territory, which is recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and clearly stipulated in Article 116 of the city’s Basic Law.
The spokesperson noted that Hong Kong has been a staunch supporter of rule-based multilateral trading system, maintaining constructive and mutually beneficial trade relations with trading partners all over the world including the U.S.
In 2023, the U.S. was the third largest trading partner of Hong Kong, with the total merchandise trade value amounting to US$60.3 billion, the spokesperson noted.
At the same time, Hong Kong is the U.S.' 27th largest trading partner. During the past 10 years, the U.S. has realized a trade surplus of $271.5 billion with Hong Kong, the largest among its global trading partners.
“These figures clearly demonstrate the close economic interaction between Hong Kong and the U.S., as well as the vast business interests of U.S. businesses in Hong Kong," the spokesperson said.
He stressed that Hong Kong strongly oppose any attempts to undermine city's reputation and erode its status as a separate customs territory as it has been upholding the principle of free and unimpeded trade as a founding member of the WTO.
"We are closely monitoring developments. If the U.S. does not rectify its wrongdoing, we will take all possible actions to defend our legitimate interests, including consider taking up the matter in the WTO," he said.
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