At 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on July 24, 2026, a new round of U.S. additional tariffs officially took effect. Following the expiration of the original Section 122, 10% global temporary tariffs, the new regulations took effect seamlessly—the vast majority of consumer goods from mainland China are now classified under the 12.5% additional ad valorem tariff bracket. This is not a simple tariff adjustment, but rather a ”multi-layered” restructuring of the tax burden: the new tariffs are levied simultaneously with the existing Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports and the base import duties. Take a typical cross-border seller importing a batch of 3C products worth $100,000 as an example: under the previous rules, the tariff cost might have been only about $10,000, but under the new regulations, it could soar to between $25,000 and $30,000.

On July 8, 2026, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) new eFiling regulations officially took effect. As of that date, products regulated by the CPSC—such as toys, baby and child care products, small appliances, and children’s clothing—must complete online eFiling before the goods arrive at U.S. ports; paper copies of the CPC (Children’s Product Certificate) or GCC (General Certificate of Conformity) accompanying the shipment will no longer be accepted.

In February 2026, the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs, and the State Taxation Administration jointly issued the “Announcement on Tax Preferential Policies for Returned Cross-Border E-Commerce Export Goods,” clarifying that goods (excluding food) declared for export under the cross-border e-commerce customs supervision codes (1210, 9610, 9710, 9810) and returned to the country in their original condition within six months of the export date due to slow sales or customer returns (excluding food) shall be exempt from import duties, import-stage value-added tax, and consumption tax; export duties already collected at the time of export shall be refunded; Value-Added Tax and Consumption Tax already collected at the time of export

In August 2026, a set of renewal rate data for the High-Talent Pass sent shockwaves through Hong Kong’s residency planning community: the renewal rate for Category A was 77%, for Category B it was 50%, and for Category C it was only 40%. This means that nearly one-quarter of Category A applicants were rejected or granted only a short-term visa upon their first renewal, while the rejection rate for Category C was as high as 60%. The Hong Kong Immigration Department adheres to the principle of ”lenient entry, strict renewal”—initial applications are processed relatively leniently, with Category A High-Talent Pass applicants receiving approval in as few as four business days. However, during the renewal stage, the department focuses on verifying whether applicants maintain genuine and effective ties with Hong Kong. Many applicants who successfully passed their initial application were later denied renewal due to a lack of understanding of renewal rules, insufficient documentation, or residency-related issues.

In 2026, Hong Kong’s Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (CIES) continues to attract the attention of high-net-worth individuals. This program requires applicants to invest at least 30 million Hong Kong dollars in Hong Kong, with funds allocated to financial assets and technology and innovation projects designated by the Hong Kong government. The approval process takes 6–9 months; upon approval, applicants are granted a 2-year stay, which can be extended for an additional 3 years. After meeting the 7-year habitual residence requirement, applicants may apply for permanent residency in Hong Kong. For entrepreneurs and investors with assets of HK$30 million or more, this is currently the most effective way to obtain Hong Kong