The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), after seeking comments on whether to extend for up to 12 months exclusions from the Section 301 tariffs granted in May 2019 for certain imports from China (see Trump and Trade Update of March 2, 2020), has approved 13 extensions covering the following Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings and product descriptions:
- 8481.10.0090 – Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including pressure-reducing valves and thermostatically controlled valves; parts thereof: Pressure-reducing valves: Other
- 8483.50.9040 – Transmission shafts (including camshafts and crankshafts) and cranks; bearing housings, housed bearings and plain shaft bearings; gears and gearing; ball or roller screws; gear boxes and other speed changers, including torque converters; flywheels and pulleys, including pulley blocks; clutches and shaft couplings (including universal joints); parts thereof: Flywheels and pulleys, including pulley blocks: Other: Grooved pulleys
- Filtering or purifying machinery or apparatus of a kind used for waste water treatment (described in statistical reporting number 8421.21.0000)
- Air purification equipment, electrically powered, weighing less than 36 kg (described in statistical reporting number 8421.39.8015)
- Armatures designed for use in hydraulic solenoid valves (described in statistical reporting number 8481.90.9040)
- C-poles, of steel, designed for use in hydraulic solenoid control valves (described in statistical reporting number 8481.90.9040)
- Metering spools, of aluminum, designed for use in hydraulic solenoid control valves (described in statistical reporting number 8481.90.9040)
- Metering spools, of steel, designed for use in hydraulic solenoid control valves (described in statistical reporting number 8481.90.9040)
- Poles, of steel, designed for use in hydraulic solenoid control valves (described in statistical reporting number 8481.90.9040)
- Push pins, of steel, designed for use in hydraulic solenoid control valves (described in statistical reporting number 8481.90.9040)
- Retainers, of steel, designed for use in hydraulic solenoid control valves (described in statistical reporting number 8481.90.9040)
- Stereoscopic microscopes, not provided with a means for photographing the image, valued not over $500 per unit (described in statistical reporting number 9011.10.8000)
- Adapter rings, tubes and extension sleeves, stands and arm assemblies, stages and gliding tables, eyeguards and focusing racks, all the foregoing designed for use with compound optical microscopes (described in statistical reporting number 9011.90.0000)
These HTS subheadings and products are currently subject to the Section 301 25 percent tariff covering Chinese products imported into the United States worth approximately $34 billion (List 1), and their exclusions to the tariff were set to expire on May 14, 2020. With these extensions, such products entering the United States for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after July 6, 2018 and before December 31, 2020, will continue to be excluded from the additional duty. All other Section 301 exclusions granted in May 2019 will expire as of midnight, May 14, 2020 (see Trump and Trade Update of May 10, 2019).