Hong Kong condemns US tariffs, duty-free parcel cancellation as ‘bullying’
Lawmaker Kennedy Wong also says most manufacturers in China will not absorb tariff hikes themselves
The Hong Kong government has strongly opposed the United States’ decision to impose reciprocal tariffs on Hong Kong and cancel a duty-free exemption on small parcels from the city in May, condemning the actions as bullying and unreasonable.
A government spokesman said on Thursday the levy of the so-called reciprocal tariffs on Hong Kong products, intended to reduce the risk of transshipment and tax evasion, distorted the facts and highlighted the US’ bullying behaviour aimed at suppressing its opponents.
“The actions of the United States are bullying and unreasonable, violate the rules of the World Trade Organization and wilfully undermine the multilateral trading system as the cornerstone of international trade,” he said.
The spokesman added that until May 2 Hongkong Post would “temporarily maintain” postal services to the US and not collect any tariffs on behalf of American authorities.
“The Hong Kong government will continue to closely monitor and assess any unilateral measures of the US ... and take actions to defend Hong Kong’s legitimate interests, including filing of a complaint in accordance with the WTO dispute settlement mechanism,” he said.
The government also noted the US was Hong Kong’s third-largest trading partner, with bilateral trade totalling US$60.3 billion in 2023. Hong Kong has generated a US$271.5 billion trade surplus with the United States over the past years, representing the largest one among the city’s trading partners.