Key facts
- The US will not renew an executive order that revoked Hong Kong's special trading status in 2020.
- The decision follows the expiration of a national emergency declaration tied to the revocation.
- Sanctions under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act of 2020 will continue.
- Hong Kong leaders John Lee and Carrie Lam were removed from one sanction list but added to another.
- China's Commerce Ministry expressed appreciation for the US decision, viewing it as a fulfillment of trade talk commitments.
The United States confirmed it will not renew an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in July 2020 that revoked Hong Kong's special trading status. This decision follows China's indication that the city's preferential privileges would be restored and coincides with the expiration of the national emergency declaration tied to the order. The U.S. Treasury Department stated that sanctions under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act of 2020 will continue, and that the non-renewal is consistent with efforts to avoid duplicative sanctions. Hong Kong leaders John Lee and Carrie Lam were removed from one sanction list but added to another. China's Commerce Ministry welcomed the move, viewing it as a fulfillment of commitments made during bilateral trade talks, while the Hong Kong government expressed hope for a resumption of normal economic and trade exchanges.