CBP provided some details on the coming duty collections on Chinese goods covered by the Section 301 tariffs (see 1806150003) in a June 28 CSMS message. "In addition to reporting the Chapters 1-97 HTSUS classification of the imported merchandise, importers shall also report the 9903.88.01 special tariff number for goods subject to the additional duty assessment of 25% ad valorem as a result of the Section 301 trade remedy," CBP said. The tariffs only "apply to products of China, and are based on the country of origin, not country of export." CBP said the additional duties won't apply "to products for which entry is properly claimed under a heading or subheading in Chapter 98," which covers returned U.S. goods.
New tariffs on goods from the U.S. exported to Turkey in response to Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum took effect on June 21, KPMG said on its website. An official June 25 notice from Turkey described the implementation of the new tariffs, a report from a KPMG firm in Turkey said. The new tariffs apply to the same subheadings listed in a World Trade Organization submission, though some of the tariff amounts differ, according to KPMG. "Retaliatory customs duty will be applicable on imports of US originated automobiles, whiskey, tobacco, coal, cosmetics, machinery equipment, paper and petrochemical products, etc.," the Turkish firm said. "Turkey will impose additional fiscal burden against various US origin goods between 4 percent to 70 percent. At the same time, [whiskey] and automobile importations will be subject to additional fiscal burden at the rate of 70% and 60% with an applicable highest rate."
Whether the material was imported from South Korea, which is not eligible for exclusions at all; whether the filer was a law firm, an experienced importer, a one-time importer or a manufacturer -- the denial memos all read exactly the same. All of the denials say the application was not complete enough "to verify the product description and/or [Harmonized Tariff Schedule] code," and the requester can apply again without prejudice.
Among the newest list of proposed HTS subheadings to be subject to 25 percent Section 301 tariffs (see 1806210029) are electric scooters, a product that's helped fuel rapid growth of short-term scooter rental companies in the U.S., Flexport noted in a June 21 blog post. Import data for the last year shows "goods qualifying as 8711.60.00 added up to nearly $670 million worth of scooters brought into the U.S.," Flexport's communications director Parker Ward said. "Had these 25% tariffs been in place during the same time period, this would have added an additional $170MM in supply chain costs for scooter importers."
A coalition of U.S. manufacturers is seeking the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on steel racks from China, the group said in a petition filed June 19 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations that could eventually result in the assessment of AD/CV duties. The petition was filed by the Coalition for Fair Rack Imports, which counts nine companies as members.
The latest list of goods from China proposed to be subject to 25 percent Section 301 tariffs appears to hit chemicals, plastics, resins and semiconductors, according to a list of tariff subheadings released by the U.S. Trade Representative on June 15 (see 1806150003). Other affected products include cargo containers, tractors and railway equipment. Comments on the list are due July 23 and a hearing is scheduled for July 24 (see 1806190060). New tariffs on 818 other subheadings from the original list take effect July 6.
Goods don’t qualify for duty-free treatment under the Nairobi Protocol simply because they are made to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Court of International Trade said in a June 19 decision. Toilets imported by Danze are classified as regular toilets, rather than falling under a special tariff provision for products specially designed for the handicapped, because they are meant and advertised for general use, despite including all features required under ADA standards for toilets, CIT said.
New Chinese 25 percent tariffs on goods from the U.S. set to take effect on July 6 (see 1806150037) are mostly focused on meat, agriculture and cars. China said it would impose initial tariffs on those and other goods mentioned in a first list on the same date the U.S will impose its Section 301 tariffs on goods from China (see 1806150003). China said it also plans to eventually add tariffs to goods mentioned in a second list, which includes chemical products, medical equipment and energy products.
Republicans and Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee criticized Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on June 20 over the steel and aluminum tariffs and the implementation of granting exclusions for certain imports subject to those tariffs. Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill, who described a nail maker in her home state of Missouri who is laying off more than half its 500-person workforce as its inputs' cost increases, told him: "it appears to me a chaotic and, frankly, incompetent manner you're picking winners and losers." Only Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, asked supportive questions during the hearing on tariffs.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative posted information on submitting public comments on the new list of products proposed for Section 301 tariffs. The notice again lists the products from China that will see new tariffs starting July 6 (see 1806150003) but doesn't spell out the process for requesting product exclusions. Those details will come in a separate notice, USTR said. The agency's notice also "creates a new Chapter 99 subheading for entry purposes (entries of articles classified in the tariff subheadings identified in Annex A have to use the new Chapter 99 classification as a secondary classification, so the additional 25% duty can be assessed) and addresses foreign trade zone admissions," Baker & McKenzie lawyer Ted Murphy said said in a June 18 blog post