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Tariff News

“Knowledge is Power.”

– Sir Francis Bacon

If Sir Francis’ wisdom always held true, Shapiro would benevolently rule all the world’s creatures, great and small, since we possess over a century of hard-won knowledge and expertise in Customs and international trade compliance. Fortunately for you, we are not power hungry – only hungry enough to empower you with the solid knowledge and powerful perspectives you need to prosper and grow during the first real trade war in generations.

Ask yourself:

  • In what ways are your company and the competition being affected by the imposition of additional tariffs under Section 301?
  • How will these additional costs and hurdles cut into your bottom-line profitability?
  • How can an importer respond to these tariffs? What are my options?

What better time than now to leverage Shapiro’s vast knowledge and experience as you attempt to digest the complexities and uncertainties surrounding the imposition of significant additional tariffs, which will undoubtedly complicate and likely obstruct your pathway to healthy profits?


The Section 301 Tariffs: U.S. Timeline

View Section 301 Tariffs: U.S. Timeline

March 8, 2018: Trump announces $50 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese imports in response to alleged theft of U.S. intellectual property (IP) and technology violations effective March 23, 2018.

March 22, 2018: President Trump begins pushing for the addition of Section 301 tariffs on China in response to continued intellectual property violations and reveals plans to target more than 1,300 Chinese goods.

April 2, 2018: China announces tariffs on 128 food and beverage products from the U.S. in retaliation of steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by Trump in March; 15% tariffs will be applied to 120 items — such as fruits, nuts and wines; 25% tariffs will be applied to 8 products – including pork and scrap aluminum.

April 4, 2018: U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) publishes an official notice in the Federal Register requesting public comments on a proposed list of 1,333 HTS subheadings of Chinese imports, valued at $50 billion in annual trade – potentially subject to additional 25% duties.

May 29, 2018: U.S. confirms the final list of Chinese products subjected to additional 25% tariffs is in the works and will be completed by June 15th.

June 15, 2018: USTR announced the imposition of List 1 and List 2 tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports that contain “industrially significant technologies” in a two-step approach. First, additional 25% duties would be levied on $34 billion of Chinese goods, covered in List 1, would begin effective July 6th; click here to view the list of 818 HTS product subheadings such as machinery, manufacturing inputs, elevators and aircraft parts. Second, the USTR would hold public hearings to determine whether 25% duties will be levied on another $16 billion worth of Chinese products outlined in List 2 but didn’t set an effective date; click here to view the proposed list of 284 HTS subheadings; China announced List 1 retaliation tariffs would add 25% duties on $34 billion of U.S. goods, including soybeans, automobiles and various chemicals, effective July 6. The list of 545 U.S. products subjected to the new List One retaliatory tariffs can be found by clicking here.

June 18, 2018: Trump responds to Chinese retaliatory tariffs by announcing the possibility of additional List 3 tariffs, consisting of 10% duties (initially) on $200 billion of Chinese goods that will go into effect pending a two-month review by the USTR. Click here to view the list of proposed 6,031 HTS subheadings.

June 20, 2018: USTR publishes official List 1 notice (USTR-2018-0018) in the Federal Register to outline all necessary guidelines and requirements surrounding comment submissions:

  • June 29, 2018: Due date for filing requests to appear and a summary of expected testimony at the public hearing and for filing pre-hearing submissions.
  • July 23, 2018: Due date for submission of written comments.
  • July 24, 2018:The Section 301 Committee will convene a public hearing in the main hearing room of the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436 beginning at 9:30 a.m.
  • July 31, 2018: Due date for submission of post-hearing rebuttal comments.

July 10, 2018: USTR releases plans to create a process for importers to apply for product exclusions for List 1 goods.

July 11, 2018: USTR announced List 2 notice – published on July 17th under USTR-2018-0026 in the Federal Register – to outline all necessary guidelines and requirements surrounding comment submissions:

  • July 27, 2018: Due date for filing requests to appear and a summary of expected testimony at the public hearing, and for filing pre-hearing submissions
  • August 17, 2018: Due date for submission of written comments.
  • August 20-23, 2018:The Section 301 Committee will convene a public hearing in the main hearing room of the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436 beginning at 9:30 a.m.
  • July 31, 2018: Due date for submission of post-hearing rebuttal comments.

August 3, 2018: Trump considers increasing List 3 tariff rates from 10% to 25% as an added encouragement for China to expedite fairer trade policy changes. The comment period for importers to submit List 3 products is extended to September 6th. China announced that it would follow suit by also implementing additional 25% tariffs on $16 billion worth of U.S. goods effective August 23, 2018. A list of all 333 U.S. products, including coal, copper scrap, fuel, buses and medical equipment affected by the List Two retaliation can be found here.

August 7, 2018: USTR publishes its finalized List 2, containing 279 HTS codes on $16 billion of Chinese products subject to 25% duties effective August 23, 2018. The latest version closely mirrors the initial List 2 proposal, this final iteration excludes 5 HTS codes – 3913.10.00, 8465.96.00, 8609.00.00, 8905.90.10 and 9027.90.20.

September 18, 2018: USTR released an official process for importers to apply for product exclusions for List 2 goods.

September 21, 2018: USTR publishes its finalized List 3, containing 5,745 HTS codes on $200 billion of Chinese products subject to 10% duties effective September 24, 2018. Trump also threatened to raise duties up to 25% in early 2019, in addition to a potential List 4, which would tax the remaining $325 billion worth of Chinese goods that have yet to be taxed at a rate of 25%, should China retaliate further; China responded with tariffs of 5-10% on an additional 5,207 products, totaling $60 billion worth of goods effective September 24, 2018 and targeted agricultural equipment, machinery, chemicals and textiles.

September 28, 2018: USTR publishes an amended List 3 notice adding (38) new HTS subheadings and removing (14) subheadings to the initial list of items subject to 10% duties (published September 21st.) effective October 1, 2018.

December 3, 2018: President Trump reveals List 3 tariffs, which were set to increase from 10% to 25% effective January 1, 2019, would remain at 10% for an additional 90 days, as a result of fruitful talks with Chinese President Xi Jingping at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires.

December 28, 2018: USTR releases its 1st round of product exclusions. The official notice contains (7) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 1 tariffs (25%) and (14) partially excluded HTS subheadings.

February 24, 2019: President Trump announces another postponement of increased duties on List 3 tariffs just days before the 90-days were due to expire, again as a result of positive and successful talks between the countries, and reported his intention to plan a summit “to conclude an agreement” on U.S. soil in the weeks following.

March 25, 2019: USTR releases its 2nd round of product exclusions. The official notice contains (3) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 1 tariffs (25%) and (30) partially excluded HTS subheadings.

April 18, 2019: USTR releases its 3rd round of product exclusions. The official notice contains (21) partially excluded HTS subheadings from List 1 tariffs (25%), covering 348 separate import requests.

May 5, 2019: Just days before Chinese officials were set to arrive in the US to continue trade negotiations, President Trump elicited a tweet proclaiming a planned increase in List 3 tariffs from 10% to 25% effective 12:01 am on May 10th (based on date of export) — in other words any goods exported before May 10th will remain subject to 10% and anything exported from May 10th or later will be subject to 25%.

May 9, 2019: USTR releases its 4th round of product exclusions. The official notice contains (5) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 1 tariffs (25%) – covering 86 separate import requests – and (35) partially excluded HTS subheadings – which cover another 429 requests respectively.

May 17, 2019: China announces a new batch of retaliatory tariffs on 5,140 U.S. exports, totaling $60 billion, in response to the 15% increase (from 10 to 25%) in tariffs on List 3, as well as a proposed List 4; USTR publishes a new notice (USTR-2019-004) in the Federal Register asking for public commentary on approximately 3,805 HTS subheadings, totaling $300 billion in annual imports from China, being considered for an additional 25% duties on List 4, and provided all necessary guidelines and requirements surrounding comment submissions:

  • June 10, 2019: Due date for filing requests to appear and a summary of expected testimony at the public hearing.
  • June 17, 2019: Due date for submission of written comments.
  • June 17, 2019:The Section 301 Committee will convene a public hearing in the main hearing room of the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436 beginning at 9:30 a.m.
  • Seven days after the last day of the public hearing: Due date for submission of post-hearing rebuttal comments.

May 21, 2019: USTR released an official process for importers to apply for product exclusions for List 3 goods.

May 31, 2019: The USTR announced that goods shipped prior to May 10th that fall under List 3 will NOT be subjected to the additional 15% in duties if they arrive before June 15th.

June 4, 2019: USTR releases its 5th round of product exclusions. The official notice contains (1) HTS subheading completely excluded from List 1 tariffs (25%), and (88) partially excluded HTS subheadings, which cover another 464 requests respectively.

June 14, 2019: As the one-year anniversary of Section 301 approaches, members of Congress request automatic extensions on List 1 products that have already been granted exclusions from the USTR before they expire.

June 29, 2019: U.S. and China restarted trade negotiations during an enthusiastic meeting between President Trump and President Xi at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan. The round of trade talks ended with China’s agreement to immediately increase its purchase of U.S. farm and agricultural products; while the US agreed to temporarily postpone List 4 tariffs and lifted certain sanctions put in place against Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Additional 25% tariffs on Lists 1, 2 and 3 would remain in effect.

July 8, 2019: USTR releases its 6th round of product exclusions. The official notice contains (110) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 1 tariffs (25%), which cover another 369 requests respectively.

July 31, 2019: USTR releases its 7th round of product exclusions. The official notice contains (69) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 2 tariffs (25%), which cover another 292 requests respectively.

August 1, 2019: Trump revealed that the U.S. will begin levying 10% duties on List 4 products, as opposed to the originally threatened 25%, effective September 1st as a result of China’s failure to uphold its commitments to increase its purchase of U.S. agricultural imports and to cease its fentanyl exports to the U.S. Trump also threatened to make “no deal at all” should significant progress not be made between the countries but said the US will continue to participate in trade negotiations with China.

August 7, 2019: USTR releases its 8th round of product exclusions. The official notice contains (10) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 3 tariffs (10% and 25%), which cover 15 requests respectively.

August 13, 2019: USTR published an official notice (dated August 20th) revealing certain list 4 products would be exempt from additional 10% tariffs until December 15th. List 4A includes items such as food, beverages, chemicals, glasses, blinds and clothing subject to additional duties effective September 1st; List 4B includes roughly 600 HTS codes covering electronics, chemicals, food, sports equipment, clothes, wooden hangers, as well as many other popular holiday items subject to additional duties effective December 15th.

August 15, 2019: USTR issued a notice advising importers that additional 10% tariffs on List 4A and 4B Chinese goods would be applied based on the entry date—which is the date the cargo arrives in U.S Customs territory or the date the Customs entry is filed, whichever is later.

August 23, 2019: President Trump which vowed to increase List 1, 2 and 3 tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods from 25% to 30% effective October 1st after China announced the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. products. He also revealed that the List 4A tariffs, set to take effect on September 1st, and the List 4B tariffs, which would be effective mid-December, would be increased from 10% to 15%. The USTR advised importers that the rate increases WOULD NOT affect any exclusions that have already been granted for List 1, 2 and 3.

September 3, 2019: USTR publishes a new notice (USTR-2019-0015) in the Federal Register asking for public commentary on proposed List 1, 2 and 3 tariff rate increases (from 25% to 30%) scheduled to take effect October 1st.

September 11, 2019: President Trump decided to push the planned October 1st tariff increase on List 1, 2 and 3 until October 15th, in honor of the People’s Republic of China’s 70th anniversary celebration and to match a similar conciliatory move that granted a one-year exemption from Chinese tariffs for 16 U.S. products.

September 20, 2019: USTR releases its 9th,10th and 11th rounds of product exclusions:

  • The List 1 notice contains (310) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 1 tariffs (25%), which cover 724 separate requests.
  • The List 2 notice contains (89) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 2 tariffs (25%), which cover 400 separate requests.
  • The List 3 notice contains (38) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 3 tariffs (25%), which cover 46 separate requests.

October 2, 2019: USTR releases its 12th and 13th rounds of product exclusions:

  • The List 1 notice contains (92) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 1 tariffs (25%), which cover 129 separate requests.
  • The List 2 notice contains (111) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 2 tariffs (25%), which cover 382 separate requests.

October 11, 2019: Trump postpones additional tariff increase (from 25-30%) on certain List 1, 2 and 3 items scheduled to begin on October 15th as a result of China’s progress in addressing U.S. IP concerns, in addition to their willingness to purchase an additional $40 to $50 billion worth of American commodities.

October 21, 2019: USTR announced plans to open an electronic portal for the submission of List 4A exclusion requests beginning October 31st. The USTR portal will close on January 31st, 2020.

October 28, 2019: USTR releases its 14th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (83) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 3 tariffs (25%), which cover 95 separate requests.

October 31, 2019: USTR publishes a Federal Register notice seeking comments regarding the one-year extension of products on the 1st set of List 1 exclusions, which are set to expire on December 28, 2019. The USTR will begin accepting comments on November 1st using docket number USTR-2019-0019. Comments are due by November 30th. 

November 13, 2019: USTR releases its 15th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (34) HTS subheadings partially excluded and (2) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 3 tariffs (25%), which cover 42 separate requests.

November 29, 2019: USTR releases its 16th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (32) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 3 tariffs (25%), which cover 39 separate requests.

December 12, 2019: U.S. and China reportedly reached a tentative “Phase One” of the U.S. – China Pact, just days before List 4B tariffs were scheduled to go into effect on December 15th. However, the deal wasn’t formally approved by President Trump – yet.

December 13, 2019: Trump confirmed the terms of “Phase One” of the agreement – U.S. will not impose a 15% tariff on $160 billion of List 4B products on December 15th; U.S. will reduce the 15% tariffs on $120 billion of List 4A products that took effect on September 1st to 7.5%; China will increase its purchase of U.S. agricultural, energy and manufactured products, and improve intellectual property regulations and access for foreign investors. However, additional 25% tariff will continue to be levied on List 1, 2 and 3 Chinese products.

December 17, 2019: USTR releases its 17th, 18th and 19th rounds of product exclusions:

  • The List 1 notice partially excluded HTS subheading 9030.90.4600 from List 1 tariffs (25%) – which covers parts and accessories for articles within HTS subheading 9030.10.
  • The List 2 notice made technical fixes and amended notes to the HTSUS.
  • The List 3 notice contains (9) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 3 tariffs (25%), and (35) partially excluded HTS subheadings, which cover 75 separate requests.

December 17, 2019: USTR officially announces that the additional 15% tariffs on $160 billion of List 4B products are suspended indefinitely. Although the notice failed to mention additional details regarding Trump’s vow to reduce the 15% tariffs on $120 billion of List 4A products by half (to 7.5%), USTR officials expect to issue another notice regarding this reduction in the near future.

December 23, 2019: USTR announces that (6) products from List 1 will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs for another year (until December 28th, 2020). However, the notice failed to mention the remaining (25) products that were included in the first round of List 1 exclusions, meaning the exclusionary status of these products expired on December 28th, 2019.

December 30, 2019: USTR publishes a Federal Register notice seeking comments regarding the one-year extension of products on the 2nd round of List 1 exclusions, which are set to expire on March 25, 2020. The USTR will begin accepting comments on January 15th using docket number USTR-2019-0024. Comments are due by February 15th.

January 6, 2020: USTR releases its 20th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (2) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 3 tariffs (25%), and (66) partially excluded HTS subheadings, which cover 81 separate requests.

January 15, 2020: U.S. and China officially ratified Phase One of their planned trade deal. The key component of Phase One involves China’s purchase of an additional $200 billion in American exports – including “an average” of $40 billion a year for the next two years in agricultural purchases; $77.8 billion more in manufactured goods, such as cars, aircraft and farm machinery; $52.4 billion oil and gas purchases; $37.9 billion in financial and other services; and increased protections for U.S. intellectual property. In exchange, the U.S. has agreed to reduce Section 301 List 4A tariffs from 15% to 7.5% effective February 14th, 2020.

February 5, 2020: USTR releases its 21st round of product exclusions. The notice contains (2) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 3 tariffs (25%), which cover 52 separate requests, and 117 partially excluded subheadings, covering an additional 156 requests.

February 11, 2020: USTR releases its 22nd round of product exclusions. The notice contains (4) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 1 tariffs (25%).

February 20, 2020: USTR releases its 23rd round of product exclusions. The notice contains (1) HTS subheading completely excluded from List 3 tariffs (25%), and (46) partially excluded HTS subheadings, which cover 67 separate requests.

March 10, 2020: USTR releases its 24th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (8) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 4A tariffs, which cover 59 separate requests.

March 13, 2020: USTR announces that 11 products from the second round of exclusions on List 1 goods will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs for another year (until March 25, 2021); (2) HTS codes that were full exclusions were granted an extension, while (9) HTS codes that were partial exclusions were granted an extension.

March 16, 2020: USTR releases its 25th and 26th rounds of product exclusions:

  • The List 4A notice contains (19) HTS subheadings partially excluded, which cover 39 separate exclusion requests. 
  • The List 3 notice also contains (5) HTS subheadings completely excluded, which cover 75 separate requests.

March 26, 2020: USTR releases its 27th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (1) HTS subheading completely excluded from List 3 tariffs, which covers 1 exclusion request. The notice also contains (176) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 3 tariffs, which covers an additional 202 separate requests.

March 26, 2020: USTR releases its 28th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (5) HTS subheadings completely excluded and (7) HTS subheadings partially excluded from List 4A tariffs, which cover 36 separate exclusion requests.

April 9, 2020: USTR announces that 8 products from the third round of exclusions on List 1 goods will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs for another year (until April 18, 2021); (8) HTS codes that were partial exclusions were granted an extension.

April 23, 2020: USTR releases its 29th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (1) HTS subheading completely excluded from List 3 tariffs, which covers 20 exclusion requests. The notice also contains 107 partially excluded subheadings, which covers an additional 157 separate requests.

May 5, 2020: USTR releases its 30th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (2) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 3 tariffs, which covers 15 exclusion requests. The notice also contains (144) HTS subheadings partially excluded, which covers an additional 170 separate requests. 

May 11, 2020: USTR releases its 31st round of product exclusions. The notice contains (3) HTS subheadings completely excluded and (5) partially excluded subheadings from List 4A tariffs, which cover 27 separate exclusion requests. USTR also issues two notices that amend exclusions previously issued for List 1 and List 2 products:

  • The first notice makes technical amendments to List 1 product exclusions under U.S. Note 20(q) to subchapter III of Chapter 99 of the tariff schedule, which were originally issued on September 20, 2019. 
  • The second notice makes technical amendments to List 2 product exclusions under U.S. Notes 20(v), originally issued on September 20, 2019, and 20(y), which were issued on October 2, 2019. 

May 12, 2020: USTR announces that 13 products from the fourth round of exclusions on List 1 goods will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs until December 31, 2020; (2) HTS codes that were full exclusions were granted an extension, while (11) HTS codes that were partial exclusions were granted an extension. 

May 21, 2020: USTR releases its 32nd round of product exclusions. The notice contains (10) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 3 tariffs, which covers 33 exclusion requests. The notice also contains (61) partially excluded subheadings, which covers an additional 70 separate requests. 

May 28, 2020: USTR announces that 16 products from the fifth round of exclusions for list 1 goods will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs until December 31, 2020.

June 9, 2020: USTR releases its 33rd round of product exclusions. The notice contains (2) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 4A tariffs and (32) partially excluded subheadings, which cover 55 separate exclusion requests. 

June 23, 2020: USTR releases its 34th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (1) HTS subheading completely excluded from List 3 tariffs. The notice also includes five updates to previously announced List 3 exclusions.

July 6, 2020: USTR announces that 12 products from the sixth round of exclusions on List 1 goods will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs until December 31, 2020. 

July 7, 2020: USTR releases its 35th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (61) partially excluded subheadings completely excluded from List 4A tariffs, which cover 86 separate requests. 

July 20, 2020: USTR releases its 36th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (11) HTS subheadings completely excluded from List 4A tariffs and (53) partially excluded subheadings, which cover 242 separate exclusion requests. 

July 28, 2020: USTR announces that 14 products from the first round of exclusions on List 2 goods will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs until December 31, 2020. 

August 5, 2020: USTR releases its 37th round of product exclusions. The notice contains (1) HTS subheading completely excluded from List 4A tariffs and (9) partially excluded subheadings, which cover 25 separate exclusion requests. 

August 6, 2020: USTR announces that 266 products from all fifteen rounds of List 3 goods will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs until December 31, 2020. 

August 31, 2020: USTR announces that 87 products from all eight rounds of List 4A goods will retain their exclusionary status from additional tariffs until December 31, 2020. 

September 17, 2020: USTR announces that 62 product exclusions from List 1 goods and 17 product exclusions from List 2 goods will retain their exclusionary status until December 31, 2020. 

September 30, 2020: USTR announces that 9 product exclusions from List 1 goods and 28 product exclusions from List 2 goods will retain their exclusionary status until December 31, 2020. 

October 7, 2020: USTR announces technical amendments to several rounds of List 3 and List 4 product exclusions.

  • The List 3 notice made technical amendments to round 2 of List 3 product exclusions
  • The List 4 notice made technical amendments to round 6 of List 4 product exclusions

November 17, 2020: USTR issues two notices that amend exclusions previously issued for List 2 products:

  • The List 3 notice made technical amendments to round 2 of List 3 product exclusions
  • The List 4 notice made technical amendments to round 6 of List 4 product exclusions

December 23, 2020: USTR announces that it will extend certain Section 301 tariff exclusions on COVID-19 products until March 31, 2021.

January 4, 2021: USTR announces additional Section 301 Tariffs on certain EU products.

January 7, 2021: USTR announced the suspension of additional 25% duties on certain French goods.

January 15, 2021: USTR announced that their Section 301 report on Vietnam’s acts, policies, and procedures burden and restrict US commerce. However, no additional punitive duties will be imposed on Vietnamese products at this time.

March 8, 2021: USTR announced that it will extend certain Section 301 tariff exclusions on COVID-19 products until September 30, 2021.

September 27, 2021: The USTR announced that it will extend certain Section 301 tariff exclusions on COVID-19 products until November 14, 2021.

October 4, 2021: The USTR announced that it will re-establish a process for importers to apply for Section 301 tariff exclusions.

October 6, 2021: The USTR announced that it is seeking comments from the trade community to help determine which of the 549 exclusions for certain Section 301 exclusions should be extended.

November 10, 2021: USTR announces that 81 of 99 Section 301 tariff exclusions on COVID-19 treatment products will be extended until May 31, 2022.

March 23, 2022: USTR announces the extension of 352 exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on China that will retain their exclusionary status until December 31, 2022.

  • List 1: 89 Exclusions
  • List 2: 34 Exclusions
  • List 3: 187 Exclusions
  • List 4: 42 Exclusions

April 1, 2022: CIT releases decision on USTR’s authority to impose List 3 and 4A Section 301 Tariffs.

May 3, 2022: USTR asks if domestic industries want section 301 extensions:

  • Requests for extensions must be submitted prior to July 6, 2022.

May 27, 2022: USTR extends Section 301 tariff exclusions for COVID products:

  • All 81 product exclusions will now be extended until November 30, 2022.

September 6, 2022: USTR announces that Section 301 tariffs would continue for List 1 and 2 products from China:

  • USTR received 288 requests for continuation for List 1 products; and 146 requests for continuation for List 2 products.

Please note:

  • Amid shifting tensions between U.S. and Chinese officials, the USTR has continued to advise, evaluate and process List 1, List 2 and List 3 importer exclusion filing requests. More information on the HTS subheadings excluded thus far is provided below in the Section 301 Reference Chart – U.S. Tariffs.
  • USTR created a site designed to help importers navigate the Section 301 tariff process, including an HTS search tool, along with other helpful features.

November 23, 2022: USTR extends Section 301 tariff exclusions for COVID products:

    • All 81 product exclusions will now be extended until February 28, 2023

December 16, 2022: USTR announces the extension of 352 exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on China that will retain their exclusionary status until September 30, 2023.

  • List 1: 89 Exclusions
  • List 2: 34 Exclusions
  • List 3: 187 Exclusions
  • List 4: 42 Exclusions

February 2, 2023: USTR requests public comments regarding Section 301 tariff exclusions for COVID products

February 7, 2023: USTR extends Section 301 tariff exclusions for COVID products:

    • All 81 product exclusions will now be extended until May 15, 2023

March 20, 2023: CIT issues final decision on Section 301 goods from China

May 12, 2023: USTR extends 77 of 81 existing exclusions for COVID-related medical products subject to Section 301 tariffs, originally scheduled to expire on May 15, 2023, through September 30, 2023. However, all 81 exclusions will be temporarily extended until May 31st to allow for a transitionary period.

September 7, 2023: USTR extends 77 of 81 existing exclusions for COVID-related medical products subject to Section 301 tariffs, originally scheduled to expire by September. However, all 81 exclusions will be temporarily extended until December 31st to allow for a transitionary period.


Section 301 Reference Chart – U.S. Tariffs (Importers)

Here’s a quick snapshot of the details and important dates surrounding all of the U.S. tariffs:

View Importer Tariffs Chart

Covered ProductsCurrent Tariff RateRelevant Dates
List 1818 products –
machinery,
manufacturing
inputs, elevators,
aircraft parts
25%25% Effective 7/6/18
30% Threatened Increase Postponed 10/11/19
21 HTS Exclusions 12/21/18
33 HTS Exclusions 3/25/19
21 HTS Exclusions 4/18/19
40 HTS Exclusions 5/9/19
89 HTS Exclusions 6/4/19
110 HTS Exclusions 7/8/19
310 HTS Exclusions 9/20/19
92 HTS Exclusions 10/2/19
1 HTS Exclusion 12/17/19
6 HTS Exclusions Extended 12/23/19
4 HTS Exclusions 2/11/20
11 HTS Exclusions Extended 3/13/20
8 HTS Exclusions Extended 4/9/20
HTS Exclusion Amendments 5/11/20 
16 HTS Exclusions Extended 5/28/20
12 HTS Exclusions Extended 7/6/20
62 HTS Exclusions Extended 9/17/20
9 HTS Exclusions Extended 9/30/20
List 2279 products –
soybeans,
automobiles and
chemicals
25%25% Effective 8/23/18
30% Threatened Increase Postponed 10/11/19
69 HTS Exclusions 7/31/19
89 HTS Exclusions 9/20/19
111 HTS Exclusions 10/2/19
HTS Exclusion Amendments 12/13/19
41 HTS Exclusions 2/25/20
HTS Exclusion Amendments 5/11/20 
14 HTS Exclusions Extended 7/28/20
17 HTS Exclusions Extended 9/17/20
28 HTS Exclusions Extended 9/30/20
List 35,745 products –
food, beverages,
chemicals, wood,
fabrics
25%10% Effective 9/28/18
25% Effective 5/10/19 (based on date of export)
30% Threatened Increase Postponed 10/11/19
10 HTS Exclusions 8/7/19
38 HTS Exclusions 9/20/19
83 HTS Exclusions 10/28/19
36 HTS Exclusions 11/13/19
32 HTS Exclusions 11/29/19
44 HTS Exclusions 12/17/19
68 HTS Exclusions 1/6/20
119 HTS Exclusions 2/5/20
47 HTS Exclusions 2/20/20
5 HTS Exclusions 3/16/20
177 HTS Exclusions 3/26/20
108 HTS Exclusions 4/23/20
146 HTS Exclusions 5/6/20
71 HTS Exclusions 5/21/20 
1 HTS Exclusion 6/23/20
266 HTS Exclusions Extended 8/6/20 
List 43805 products –
electronics, sports
equipment,
clothes, wooden
hangers, food,
beverages,
chemicals, glasses,
blinds, clothing
7.5%15% Effective List 4A 9/1/19
7.5% Effective List 4A Effective 2/14/20
15% Effective List 4B Canceled 12/13/19
List 4A Exclusion Filing Deadline 1/31/20
8 HTS Exclusions 3/10/20
19 HTS Exclusions 3/16/20
12 HTS Exclusions 3/26/20
8 HTS Exclusions 5/11/20 
34 HTS Exclusions 6/9/20 
61 HTS Exclusions 7/7/20
64 HTS Exclusions 7/20/20 
10 HTS Exclusions 8/5/20
87 HTS Exclusions Extended 8/31/20

Yes, China has responded – with some tariffs of its own!

China’s response to all rounds of 301 tariffs imposed by the U.S. was swift, with President Xi Jinping approving tit-for-tat retaliatory tariffs. China’s response appears to target the populations they consider to be the Trump administration’s core supporters – U.S. farmers, ranchers and industrial workers.

Let’s take a closer look at the retaliatory tariffs and their targets:

June 15, 2018: China Tariff Commission announced List 1 retaliation tariffs on certain U.S. products, including soybeans, automobiles and various chemicals. List One retaliatory tariffs added 25% duties on $34 billion of U.S. goods effective July 6, 2018. The finalized list of 545 U.S. products subjected to the new tariffs can be found by clicking here.

August 7, 2018: China announced that it would follow suit with US List 2 by also implementing additional 25% tariffs on $16 billion worth of U.S. goods effective August 23, 2018 in retaliation. A final list of all 333 U.S. products, including coal, copper scrap, fuel, buses and medical equipment affected by the list two retaliation can be found here.

September 21, 2018: In response to List Three, China issued tariffs of 5-10% on an additional 5,207 products, totaling $60 billion worth of goods. These tariffs went into effect on September 24, 2018 and targeted agricultural equipment, machinery, chemicals and textiles. List Three included several retaliatory waves. A full breakdown of list three retaliations can be found by selecting phase onetwothree or four. China paired these tariffs with published government documents that further express their bleak stance on the future of U.S.-China trade.

May 13, 2019: China announced a new batch of retaliatory tariffs on 5,140 U.S. exports, totaling $60 billion, in response to the 15% increase (from 10 to 25%) in tariffs on List 3 products, as well as the proposition of a List 4. Effective June 1, an additional 25% tariff on 2,493 items, 20% tariff on 1,078 items, 10% tariff on 974 items to commence, as well as the continuation of a 5% tariff on 595 items.

August 23, 2019: Following President Trump’s announcement of an additional List 4A and 4B duties, China countered with plans to levy additional tariffs, ranging from 5% to 10%, on $75 billion of U.S. soybeans, automobiles and oil effective September 1st and December 15th.

September 10, 2019: Trump’s decision to postpone (yet again) to match a similar conciliatory move made by Chinese officials the day prior, which granted a one-year exemption from Chinese tariffs for 16 U.S. products. Trump later postponed the additional rate increase just days before October 15th.

December 13, 2019: As part of the “Phase One” deal, China agreed to increase its purchase of U.S. agricultural, energy and manufactured products by at least $200 billion over the next 2 years (at least $40-50 billion promised to agricultural products specifically); improve intellectual property regulations and access for foreign investors; suspend Chinese retaliatory tariffs planned to take effect December 15th; and ensure a tariff exclusion process is in place.


Section 301 Reference Chart – Chinese Tariffs (Exporters)

Here’s a quick snapshot of the details and important dates surrounding the Chinese retaliatory measures:

View Chinese Exporters Tariffs Chart

Covered ProductsCurrent Tariff RateRelevant Dates
First Round545 products –
soybeans, automobiles, various
chemicals
25%Effective 7/6/18
Second Round333 products – coal,
fuel, buses, medical
equipment
25%Effective 8/23/18
Third Round5,207 products –
agricultural
equipment, machinery,
and textiles
5% – 10%Effective 9/28/18
Fourth Round5,140 products –
agricultural
5% – 25%Effective 6/1/19
Effective 9/1/19
Effective 12/15/19 
Canceled 12/13/19