Commerce and Economic Development Secretary Edward Yau Tang-wah said the proposed action by the US government to introduce 23.6 percent tariff on imports of aluminum from Hong Kong is unilateral and discriminatory and based on unfounded allegations. He said Hogn Kong had a trade deficit exceeding US$27 billion in 2016 with the US.
"Hong Kong's export of aluminum products at most constituted about HK$30 million. So, as a percentage, that accounted for just a very tiny fraction, not up to 0.2 percent of the total import of aluminum into the US,” Yau said.
He urged the US government to take a serious look at the whole matter and to stop such discriminatory action.
The US Department of Commerce reports on February 16 claimed that imports of steel and aluminum had adversely impacted the economic welfare of the US domestic industry and threatened to impair national security. The reports recommended tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum.