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US downgrades Hong Kong to Tier 3 in trafficking report
The US State Department said the downgrade follows concerns about prosecutions and victim identification, while Hong Kong rejected it as unfounded.
The United States downgraded Hong Kong to Tier 3 in its annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, moving the city from the Tier 2 Watch List, where it had been listed for two consecutive years, the SCMP Economy reported.
In the US State Department’s 2026 TIP report, released on Thursday, officials cited shortcomings including prosecutions and victim identification.
Hong Kong’s government rejected the downgrade in an early Friday statement, calling the rating “entirely unfounded” and saying it was a “blatant attempt to tarnish Hong Kong’s sterling reputation,” according to SCMP Economy.