List 4A Tariff Exclusion Requests Surpass 1,000 at USTR Public Docket

Section 301 List 4A tariff exclusion requests topped 1,000 Thursday, 49 days after the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative opened the public docket to applications on Halloween. Applicants that are granted exclusions can qualify for refunds of the 15 percent tariffs they paid retroactive to Sept. 1 when the duties took effect. List 4A tariffs remain in effect at 15 percent but are expected to be rolled back by half after the U.S-China phase one trade deal is signed in January. Under USTR rules, tariff exemptions are granted on all goods imported under a product classification, not just to the company making the exclusion request. Nine applications were filed through Thursday to exempt goods imported under the 8517.62.00.90 tariff subheading, more than for any consumer tech product with List 4A exposure. The subheading includes a broad range of consumer tech goods, including smart speakers, Bluetooth headphones, fitness trackers and smartwatches. Virtually all List 4A exclusion requests filed by all companies through Nov. 29 were elevated to the status of a “stage 2 initial substantive review,” the docket shows. The final “stage 4" is when an exclusion request is granted and approved for Federal Register publication. None of the List 4A applications filed since Oct. 31 progressed above stage 2.