Proposed 25 Percent List 4 301 Tariffs Target Remaining $300 Billion in Imports of Chinese Goods

Following President Trump’s threat to impose a 25 percent duty on all remaining Chinese-origin products not already covered by Lists 1-3, on May 13, 2019, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced proposed Section 301 tariffs of up to 25 percent on a List 4 of goods worth approximately $300 billion. The final announcement will be published soon in the Federal Register.
 
The proposed List 4 covers virtually all remaining products of Chinese origin not currently subject to Section 301 duties.  It spans a wide array of consumer products, including food products, apparel, footwear, household products, machinery, computers, televisions, and other electronics, etc., but excludes pharmaceuticals, certain pharmaceutical inputs, select medical goods, rare earth materials, and critical minerals.
 
USTR will be holding a public comment and hearing process with key dates as follows:

 

Date	Forum
June 10, 2019	Request to appear at hearing and a summary of expected testimony
June 17, 2019	Submission of written comments
June 17, 2019	Public Hearing

 

If the public hearing lasts for more than one day, post-hearing rebuttal comments are due seven days after the last day of the hearing.
 
Importers interested in participating in the public comment and hearing process, evaluating the duty impact, and exploring strategic responses to mitigate the duty exposure, please contact a BDO Customs and International Trade Services professional.