Playing the role of Scrooge, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), after seeking comments on whether to extend for another year certain product exclusions it granted in December 2018 (see Trump and Trade Update of October 29, 2019), has determined that it will only grant six extensions covering the following Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings and product descriptions:
- HTS subheading 8418.69.0120
- HTS subheading 8525.60.1010
- Roller machines with dies for embossing paper, manually powered (described in statistical reporting number 8420.10.9080)
- Angle cock handle assemblies, of iron and steel, each measuring 11.43 cm by 21.59 cm by 5.08 cm and weighing 0.748 kg (described in statistical reporting number 8481.90.9040)
- Radiation therapy systems, each encased by steel-based structural shell with gantry cover comprising three pairs of plastics-based panels (described in statistical reporting number 9022.14.0000)
- Thermostats designed for air conditioning or heating systems, not designed to connect to the internet, the foregoing designed for wall mounting (described in statistical reporting number 9032.10.0030
These HTS subheadings and products are currently subject to additional tariffs of 25 percent under the China Section 301 proceeding covering products imported into the United States worth approximately $34 billion (List 1), and the granted exclusions were set to expire on December 28, 2019. With this extension, such products entering the United States for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after July 6, 2018 and before December 28, 2020, will continue to be excluded from the additional duty rate. All other Section 301 exclusions granted on December 28, 2018 will expire as of midnight, December 28, 2019 (see Trump and Trade Update of January 2, 2019).