"Made in China" labels will be attached to all products manufactured in Hong Kong and exported to the U.S. starting Sept. 25, according to a notice posted by the U.S. government Tuesday.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said all Hong Kong exports must specify the source of shipments as "China," it said in a statement on its website.
The new export classification follows a recent U.S. decision to end Hong Kong's special status. Hong Kong exporters must drop "Made in Hong Kong" labels when exporting to the U.S. as a result of the cancellation of the special trading privileges, according to the agency. The cancellation was in response to China's of new security laws that have been applied in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong exporters are now subject to the same taxes and tariffs as exporters from mainland China, the agency's notice said. Hong Kong sold around $6.3 billion in products to the U.S. in 2018.
There is a 45-day grace period for Hong Kong businesses to comply with the change. The new regulation will be imposed after it is published in the federal gazette.
The U.S. measures bypassed Hong Kong's status as an autonomous member of the World Trade Organization, Hong Kong said. The change goes against international trade policies, it said. Hong Kong has a distinct privilege as a detached customs region which can't be annulled by any foreign government.
