Hong Kong exports to US will need ‘made in China’ label, Trump administration says

Exports to the U.S. from Hong Kong may soon have to be specially marked to indicate their Chinese origin as the U.S.’s special relationship with the former British colony comes to an end.

Reuters reported Tuesday that the Trump administration posted a “made in China” marking requirement for all exports from Hong Kong, the latest move aimed at the region by U.S. regulators following the passage of a new national security law that experts say reduces Hong Kong’s sovereignty and brings it closer to mainland China.

The notice was posted Tuesday and reportedly goes into effect in 45 days.

The move comes following a new round of sanctions from both the U.S. and China over the weekend, with the Treasury Department naming Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam and others as targets for U.S. sanctions, while several GOP lawmakers were targeted in response for Chinese sanctions.

China’s government has accused the Trump administration of trying to harm Chinese businesses with unfair regulations and sanctions, while the U.S. has maintained that Chinese firms, particularly those in the tech sector such as Huawei, routinely work with the Chinese military.

President Trump signed a bipartisan bill in July granting his administration power to sanction Chinese officials seen as key players in Beijing’s effort to crack down on Hong Kong, which has been the site of pro-democracy protests for months. The president has repeatedly hammered China over trade issues as well as its government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak in the months leading up to the 2020 election.

“This law gives my administration powerful new tools to hold responsible the individuals and the entities involved in extinguishing Hong Kong’s freedom,” Trump said at the time.

“We’ve all watched what happened. Not a good situation. Their freedom has been taken away. Their rights have been taken away. And with it goes Hong Kong, in my opinion, because it will no longer be able to compete with free markets,” the president added.