Tariff Exclusion Process Announced for Chinese Imports

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the federal office administering tariffs on imports, announced that starting on Thursday, October 31, they will begin to accept Chinese imports exclusion requests defined on List 4, Annex A (List 4a).

List 4a includes products for which additional 15% tariffs went into effect on September 1, 2019. This includes, but is not limited to, the following sportfishing products, sorted by HTS code:

• 9507.20.40 Fish hooks, snelled
• 9507.20.80 Fish hooks, not snelled
• 9507.30.60 Fishing reels, valued over $8.45 each
• 9507.30.80 Parts and accessories for fishing reels
• 9507.90.20 Fishing line, put up and packaged for retail sale
• 9507.90.40 Fishing casts or leaders
• 9507.90.70 Artificial baits and flies

A separate list of products, known as List 4b, will be subject to additional 15% tariffs beginning on Sunday, December 15, 2019. The exclusion process beginning on October 31, only applies to List 4a; no process for List 4b has been announced to date.

To determine which list your company’s product(s) fall under, you can search by HTS subheading on the USTR website.

ASA members who import products from China found on List 4a and who are interested in filing for exclusions are strongly encouraged to take the following steps:

1. Read the USTR official notice. The notice contains information on procedures to request the exclusion of particular products; a summary of the information to be entered on the exclusion request form; timelines for responses to requests; and a sample of the exclusion request form.
2. Register online at the USTR exclusion process portal. While exclusion requests cannot be submitted until October 31, you can get a head start by registering now. Exclusions have been granted on a rolling basis, so the sooner your company applies the sooner they will receive a response.
3. Prepare materials to support your exclusion request(s). The USTR official notice contains information to help you identify the information you’ll need to provide.

While the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) cannot submit exclusion requests on behalf of our members, we will send letters of support for ASA member requests.

ASA will continue to assist its members in navigating the China tariff situation, particularly as it pertains to exclusion requests.

Please contact Mike Leonard, ASA’s vice president of Government Affairs, with any further questions.