HONG KONG: At the Koon Chun Sauce Factory workers are scrambling to cover hundreds of thousands of bottles with new “Made in China” labels as the popular Hong Kong brand falls victim to spiraling diplomatic tensions.
Founded nearly a century ago, the family-owned factory has survived a world war, multiple economic crises and the slow withering of Hong Kong’s manufacturing base as companies looked for cheaper labor in mainland China.
It remains one of the financial hub’s most enduring brands, churning out culinary staples such as soy, hoisin and oyster sauces found in Chinese restaurants and kitchens around the world.
But from November it can no longer place the words “Made in Hong Kong” on any products exported to the United States — part of Washington’s response to Beijing imposing a tough new security law on the restless city.
The new rules, announced by US Customs in July, came just two days before a Koon Chun shipment of 1,300 boxes was about to set sail for Atlanta.
The factory suddenly had to re-label the entire shipment and all other cargo the firm planned to ship to the US this summer.
“It was a mission impossible,” Daniel Chan told AFP from the factory his great-grandfather founded in 1928.
China blanketed Hong Kong in a new security law to stamp out huge protests that convulsed the city last year. Both Beijing and local authorities said it would have no impact on businesses and would restore stability.
But economic consequences have rippled through the recession-hit hub as authorities use the new powers to pursue political opponents.
Rattled tech firms have declined to share data with local police while some companies and universities are struggling to attract international talent.
Banks have found themselves caught in an impossible situation.
The US has sanctioned key Chinese and Hong Kong officials in response to the law. But that same security law also forbids companies from complying with any foreign sanctions regime.
Another victim has been the “Made in Hong Kong” brand, a label that companies can place on products made exclusively in the city.
Donald Trump has turned increasingly hawkish toward China as he seeks reelection, and the crackdown on democracy supporters in Hong Kong has given him fresh ammunition.
This summer his administration declared Hong Kong no longer sufficiently autonomous to justify special trading status. Instead it would be treated like any other Chinese city.
On top of the stop-gap stickers, new labels are being drawn up for US exports — the large “Made in Hong Kong” lettering replaced with a much smaller “Made in China” declaration.
Much time has been spent rearranging storage for now-delayed cargo shipments.
Companies were given a reprieve when Hong Kong’s Commerce Minister Edward Yau said Washington had postponed the label rule until early November, after the presidential election. “This buys us a little bit of time,” Chan said.
