Executive Order 13936, entitled "The President's Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization", is an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump on July 14, 2020. On the same day Trump had signed into law Hong Kong Autonomy Act, one of the laws from which the order derives authority. The act and the executive order are the U.S. response to the imposition of a controversial national security law in Hong Kong by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China on June 30, 2020, which was described as "an unusual and extraordinary threat [...] to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States" in the preamble.
According to Trump, he said the executive order was to "hold China accountable for its aggressive actions against the people of Hong Kong", and Hong Kong would be treated the same as China. The order directs government agencies to eliminate preferential treatments given to Hong Kong as compared to mainland China.
In July 2026, the national emergency declared in the order, which had previously been extended, was allowed to lapse by the US and would no longer be applicable.
Background
The Hong Kong Policy Act of 1992 (HKPA), last amended by the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019, is the groundwork for U.S. policies that maintain relations with Hong Kong as separate from mainland China, to the extent consistent with the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, after the handover of Hong Kong. While existing U.S. laws and certain international agreements continue to apply to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region after July 1997, section 202 of the act allows the U.S. president to issue an executive order to suspend such treatments if he determines that Hong Kong "is not sufficiently autonomous to justify treatment" different from that accorded China under U.S. laws.
In May 2020, after the Chinese National People's Congress decision on Hong Kong national security legislation was adopted, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reported to the U.S. Congress that Hong Kong was no longer autonomous. Following the enactment of the Hong Kong national security law by Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in June 2020, the U.S. Congress promptly and unanimously passed the Hong Kong Autonomy Act.
Provisions The measures introduced in the executive order include: Export control All of Hong Kong's license under the Export Administration Regulations that are not available to China are to be revoked The export of "U.S.-origin defense equipment" to Hong Kong is to be ended under the Arms Export Control Act SanctionsThe Secretary of the Treasury or the Secretary of State can impose sanctions on foreign persons who are: engaged in developing, adopting, or implementing the Hong Kong national security law engaged in undermining the democracy, threatening the autonomy, imposing censorship or committing serious human rights abuse in Hong Kong leaders or officials of a government or private entities engaged in the above activities Law EnforcementNotice of intent is given to: suspend the Agreement for the Surrender of Fugitive Offenders terminate the Agreement for the Transfer of Sentenced Persons end the provision of training to the Hong Kong Police at the International Law Enforcement Academies Travel and ImmigrationHong Kong is no longer treated as separate from China: for the purpose of numerical limitations on immigration under the Immigration Act of 1990 with respect to the duration of nonimmigrant visas under Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 for the Diversity Immigrant Visa program (commonly known as the green card lottery) for the eligibility of its residents to Visa waiver programs of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands (both holders of HKSAR Passport and British National (Overseas) passport are affected) Other provisions Hong Kong is to be treated as the same as China by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States in its annual reporting A notice of intent is to be given to terminate a 1989 bilateral agreement granting reciprocal exemption of income tax The Fulbright exchange program with Hong Kong and China is to be terminated The cooperation between the United States Geological Survey and the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Institute of Space and Earth Information Science is discontinued
Implementation Sanctions The United States imposed six rounds of sanctions under this Executive Order, four of which targeted Hong Kong officials. As a result of their inclusion in the Specially Designated Nationals List, all of the property and interests in property in the United States are blocked for the sanctioned and must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control. All United States citizens are prohibited from transactions (including the contribution or provision of funds, goods or services) involving the property or interest of the eleven sanctioned persons.
On August 7, 2020, Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who pushed through the 2019 Hong Kong extradition bill, and five other Hong Kong government officials were sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury by President Trump for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly". The sanction is based on the Hong Kong Autonomy Act and Lam would be listed in the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List. Other sanctioned individuals include: Chris Tang, Commissioner of Police, under whose leadership the police besieged the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in November 2019, as well as his predecessor Stephen Lo. John Lee, the security minister who would later become the Chief Executive, was also sanctioned. Four Chinese officials were targeted in the sanction, including Xia Baolong, Luo Huining, and Zheng Yanxiong, who were respectively directors of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, Hong Kong Liaison Office, and Office for Safeguarding National Security (OSNS). On November 9, 2020, four more individuals from the OSNS and the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force were sanctioned. Another round of sanction was made on December 7, 2020 by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in pursuant to the order. The entire 14 Vice Chairpersons of the National People's Congress of China were sanctioned for "undermining Hong Kong's autonomy and restricting the freedom of expression or assembly". On January 15, 2021, 6 more individuals were sanctioned. On July 16, 2021, all 7 deputy directors of the Hong Kong Liaison Office were sanctioned for their role in reducing Hong Kong's autonomy, pursuant to the 2020 Hong Kong Autonomy Act:
On March 31, 2025, the Trump administration sanctioned six more security and police officials after Beijing and Hong Kong were accused of transnational repression for attempting to "to intimidate, silence, and harass 19 pro-democracy activists who were forced to flee overseas": In particular, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam was sanctioned for developing or implementing the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance. +List of sanctioned individualsIndividualCapacityOfficialsDateTerminatedCarrie LamChief Executive (2017–22)Hong KongAugust 7, 2020Chris TangCommissioner of Police (2019–21), Secretary for Security (2021–)Stephen LoCommissioner of Police (2015–19)July 2026John LeeSecretary for Security (2017–21), Chief Secretary for Administration (2021–22), Chief Executive (2022–)Teresa ChengSecretary for Justice (2018–22)Erick TsangSecretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs (2020–26)Eric ChanSecretary-General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security (2020–22), Chief Secretary for Administration (2022–)Xia BaolongDirector of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (2020–)ChinaZhang XiaomingDeputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (2020–22)Luo HuiningDirector of the Hong Kong Liaison Office (2020–23)Zheng YanxiongDirector of the Office for Safeguarding National Security (2020–23), Director of the Hong Kong Liaison Office (2023–25)Edwina LauHead of National Security Department (2020–23)Hong KongNovember 9, 2020Steve Li Kwai-WahSenior Superintendent at National Security Department, Chief Superintendent at National Security Department (2023–)Li JiangzhouDeputy Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security (2020–)ChinaDeng ZhonghuaDeputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (2018–2022)Cai DafengVice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's CongressChinaDecember 7, 2020Cao JianmingChen ZhuPadma CholingDing ZhongliHao MingjinArken ImirbakiJi BingxuanShen YueyueWan ExiangWang ChenWang DongmingWu WeihuaZhang ChunxianTam Yiu-ChungHong Kong delegate to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (2018–23)Hong KongJanuary 15, 2021Frederic ChoiSenior Assistant Commissioner of Police (National Security) (2020–2021)Andrew KanSenior Assistant Commissioner of Police (National Security) (2021–2023), Head of National Security Department (2023–)Kelvin KongSenior Assistant Commissioner of Police (National Security) (2023–)You QuanDeputy Leader of the Central Leading Group on Hong Kong and Macau AffairsChinaSun QingyeDeputy Director of the Office for Safeguarding National Security (2020–)Chen DongDeputy directors of the Hong Kong Liaison OfficeChinaJuly 16, 2021Yang JianpingJuly 2026Qiu HongJuly 2026Lu XinningTan TieniuHe JingYin ZonghuaPaul LamSecretary for Justice (2022–)Hong KongMarch 31, 2025July 2026Sonny Au Chi-kwongSecretary-General of the Committee for Safeguarding National Security (2022–)Raymond SiuCommissioner of Police (2021–25)Dick Wong Chun-chungAssistant Commissioner of Police (National Security)Margaret Chiu Wing-lanAssistant Commissioner of Police (National Security)Dong JingweiDirector of the Office for Safeguarding National SecurityChina
Country of origin marking of products The executive order suspended the application of section 201(a) of HKPA to section 304 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S. Code § 1304), which stipulates that every article of foreign origin shall be marked the English name of the country of origin. On August 11, 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) announced that the imported goods produced in Hong Kong could no longer indicate themselves as "Made in Hong Kong" after September 25, but must indicate "China" as the country of origin instead. This reversed the practice announced by the then-U.S. Customs Service in June 1997, which determined that goods from Hong Kong should continue to indicate their origin as "Hong Kong" after July 1, 1997.
This change does not affect the reporting for purposes of assessing duties under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.
Suspension or termination of three bilateral agreements On August 18, 2020, the Consulate General of the United States in Hong Kong notified the government of Hong Kong that the United States had suspended or terminated three bilateral agreements: for the surrender of fugitive offenders, for the transfer of sentenced persons and for reciprocal tax exemptions on income derived from the international operation of ships. The U.S. Department of State referred to this as part of the implementation measures set forth in the executive order.
Responses Signing of the executive order China's ministry of foreign affairs criticized the United States for interfering in "purely China’s internal affairs", namely the implementation of a law that safeguards the country's national security. The spokesperson urged the United States to "correct its mistakes", otherwise China will give "firm response" and impose sanctions on relevant U.S. persons.