WTO Sets Up Panel Over 'Made In HK' Dispute

The SAR government announced on Tuesday that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has agreed to set up a dispute-settlement panel upon its second request over a decision by the United States to label goods made in Hong Kong as “Made in China”.

Former US president Donald Trump had ordered the change in the labelling of local products amid Sino-US trade tensions, and it has been in effect since mid-November.

In January, the Biden administration blocked the SAR’s first request to raise the issue to the WTO by setting up such a panel.

The world trade body granted the Hong Kong government's second request in a meeting this week.

“The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body agreed at its meeting on February 22 (Geneva time) to Hong Kong's request to establish a 'panel' to consider the dispute raised by Hong Kong with respect to the violation of WTO rules by the United States' new requirement on origin marking for Hong Kong products,” a spokesman for the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said in a statement.

It said Hong Kong's permanent representative to the WTO, Laurie Lo, spoke at the meeting and stressed that Hong Kong believes the new labelling is unjustifiable, violating certain WTO rules and damaging to the SAR’s interests as a member of the organisation.

It added that so far, 13 WTO members have indicated their interest to join meetings of the panel as third parties.