On December 11, 2024, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced tariff increases under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 for imports from China of certain tungsten products, wafers, and polysilicon. Beginning on January 1, 2025, the rates for solar wafers and polysilicon will increase to 50%, and the rates for certain tungsten products will increase to 25%. The Federal Register notice for this action can be found here.
These tariff increases had been proposed as part of the four-year statutory Section 301 review of the tariff actions previously taken in the Section 301 investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. These modifications conclude the statutory review.
For additional background on the four-year review and recent USTR actions, see Thompson Hine Updates of September 20, 2024, September 16, 2024 and May 15, 2024.