The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced additional Section 301 tariff exclusions for certain imported Chinese products appearing on List 3. These products have been subject to Section 301 tariffs since September 24, 2018, when President Donald Trump announced additional import duties on Chinese goods with an annual trade value of approximately $200 billion.
This batch of approved product exclusions covers 32 specially-prepared product descriptions covering 39 separately filed exclusion requests. These products include: candy lollipops; bulk sodium metal; certain plastic trays; grinding beads of yttria-stabilized zirconia; certain tubes and pipe sleeves of alloy or galvanized steel; foldable stepladders made of steel; electric display cases incorporating refrigerating equipment designed for commercial use; certain vacuum cleaners; certain starter motors used in the lawn, automotive, watercraft, motorcycle, industrial and garden industries; certain bicycles; certain types of carts (other than industrial hand trucks and portable luggage); canoes; certain types of folding chairs, cots and tables; and certain electric household floor-standing, table or desk lamps.
These product exclusions will be retroactive to September 24, 2018, and remain in effect until August 7, 2020. These exclusions apply to any product that satisfies the description in the annexes of the Federal Register notice, regardless of whether the company using the exclusion filed the request. Each exclusion is governed by the scope of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule heading and the product description appearing in the annex of the exclusion notice; it is not governed by the product description set out in any particular exclusion request. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will soon issue instructions on entry guidance and implementation. USTR will continue to issue determinations on pending requests on a periodic basis.