The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced on December 31, 2019 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 two 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings in their entirety and 66 specially-prepared product descriptions covering 81 separately filed exclusion requests. The two HTS subheadings are 8712.00.1510 and 8712.00.1550, which involve certain bicycles. The specially prepared product description exclusions cover: endless synchronous belts of vulcanized rubber, molded polyurethane, neoprene, or welded urethane; certain leather briefcases; certain storage containers of paulownia wood or twisted paper rope; certain woven fabrics; certain vault doors and safes of carbon steel; certain steel clamps with rubber insulation; certain spring-loaded telescoping poles of steel or aluminum; certain awning and decorative cast aluminum endcaps; certain steel hand tools for crimping/stripping or cutting wire; certain steel valve lifters; certain hand or foot operated air pumps; certain ventilation fans for motor vehicles; certain portable air compressors; certain electric winches; certain wireless battery chargers; alternators for motor vehicles charging systems; certain automobile alarm systems; certain color video cameras for use with microscopes; certain ultraviolet lamps used for skin tanning purposes; certain hand held, battery-powered electrical devices that administer transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS); certain motor mount kits; certain bicycle saddles; certain compound binocular optical microscopes; certain stackable upholstered metal chairs for religious worship settings; certain hunting stands of steel or aluminum; certain wheeled trays; certain baby crib liners; and, certain light boxes that provide light therapy for seasonal and sleep disorders.
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 annex 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 HTS 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.