September 9, 2019 – On September 1, 2019, the U.S. followed through with plans to enact tariffs on roughly $112 billion worth of China-origin goods (list 4A), including clothing and household goods. In retaliation, China passed tariffs on thousands of American products, including cars.
As the trade war continues between these two nations, the United States has announced its intent to increase the tariff rates on Chinese imports from lists 1, 2 and 3 from 25% to 30% (ad valorem). On September 3rd, the Office of the United States Representative (USTR) issued a Federal Register Notice requesting comments on the proposed increase.
Public comments will be accepted until September 20th, and the proposed increase is to take place on October 1st.
Public comments on proposed increase
The USTR is asking that those interested submit their comments regarding the proposed modification by September 20th. Comments should focus on the following:
- Proposed increase in the rate of additional duty from 25% to 30%, with an effective date of October 1, 2019.
- Whether increasing the rate of additional duties would be practical or effective to obtain the elimination of China’s act, policies, and practices.
- Whether increasing the rate of additional duties on a particular product found in lists 1, 2 or 3 would cause disproportionate economic harm to U.S. interests, including small or medium-sized businesses and consumers.
Submitting comments
Public comments, and the public version of comments containing business confidential information (BCI), can be submitted online through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. Comments containing BCI should be emailed to 301bcisubmissions@ustr.eop.gov.
Because it’s unknown whether the comments will influence the effective date or proposed rate, the trade community should prepare for an increase. Livingston will continue to publish updates about the ongoing dispute and any changes to the current date or rates on our website.