On September 11, 2019, the Customs Tariff Commission of China’s State Council (CTCSC) announced its first batch of tariff exclusions for imports of U.S. products, covering shrimp, fish meal, lubricants and more, according to an unofficial translation of a Ministry of Finance press release. These exclusions will be executed under two different lists:

  • List 1 Exclusions: No additional duties will be imposed from September 17, 2019 until September 16, 2020. Importers should apply to China Customs for the refund of duties previously paid within six months of the publication date of these exclusions.
  • List 2 Exclusions: No additional duties will be imposed from September 17, 2019 until September 16, 2020. Refunds of previously paid duties, however, are not available for these exclusions.

The CTCSC indicated that it will continue to issue additional batches of tariff exclusions for imports of U.S. products in due course.