China News Service, Hong Kong, August 12 (Reporter Zeng Ping) The U.S. government recently requested that all products made in Hong Kong and exported to the United States be changed to the standard source of origin on September 25, and the "Made in Hong Kong" is listed as "Made in China". . In an interview with a reporter from China News Agency, some scholars believed that the US move would not have a great impact on Hong Kong. The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong criticized that the US's approach was too difficult for others to disrupt the international trade order.
Mai Cuicai, an associate professor in the Department of Finance and Policy Making at Hong Kong Baptist University, said that the United States did not comply with World Trade Organization regulations and treats Hong Kong and the mainland equally in terms of trade. This approach will have an impact on both sides, and Hong Kong will not be greatly affected, and the psychological impact is greater than the actual impact.
Mai Cuicai believes that products made in Hong Kong are exported to the United States using "Made in China", while other places still use "Made in Hong Kong", which will increase costs for Hong Kong exporters. They need to reprocess the labels for the United States, and the selling price may also be lowered. For overseas consumers, it is easy to cause confusion.
Statistics show that the value of products exported directly from Hong Kong to the United States in 2019 is approximately HK$3.67 billion, accounting for less than 0.1% of Hong Kong's total exports. Mai Cuicai said that the affected Hong Kong companies have ways to solve the problem, or choose to go directly to the mainland for production, or relocate their factories to Southeast Asian countries. In addition, some Hong Kong companies may abandon the U.S. market due to the new measures, which will further reduce Hong Kong’s exports to the U.S. and the corresponding choices of U.S. consumers will also be reduced.
Mai Cuicai believes that if the United States takes more radical measures, it may cause some Hong Kong citizens to reject American products.
The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong, which has more than 85 years of foundation and has more than 3,000 member companies, said that the United States forced "Made in Hong Kong" products to change the source of origin. This move will cause Hong Kong companies to face the embarrassing situation of "unidentified" or even not recognized by the relevant local customs authorities when they carry out the indication of origin and apply for the "Certificate of Origin". Hong Kong companies are at a loss as to what to do and may suspend all exports to the United States.
Manufacturers will criticize that the US imposes technical trade barriers on Hong Kong in addition to tariffs, which undoubtedly further disrupts the international trade order. The association hopes that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government will lodge a complaint with the World Trade Organization. It also hopes that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government and relevant Mainland authorities can coordinate with the issue of "Certificate of Origin" and find a solution. (Finish)