The head of a local trading group said on Monday he doesn't think a planned 100 percent tariff hike by the United States on Chinese imports would have too big of an impact.

Hong Kong Shippers' Council chairman Willy Lin made the comment on an RTHK programme after US President Donald Trump on Friday said the planned increase would come at the start of next month, reigniting the trade war with Beijing in a row over export curbs on rare earth minerals.

"Basically all of the manufacturers in China that export their goods to the United States have already built factories in Southeast Asia or India," he said.

"Therefore, the actual impact may not be significant.

"There isn't much our sector can do in response.

"As an exporter, you can't do business with a tariff at 50 percent or 100 percent. We just have to wait and see."

Lin expressed hope that President Xi Jinping and Trump could ease tensions through dialogue, with both of them expected to attend the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders' summit in South Korea at the end of the month.