USTR moves on Section 301 tariff adjustments — what sellers should watch
USTR has opened its second four-year review of the China Section 301 tariffs. What's actually changing now, what isn't, and the entry-date detail the group chats keep getting wrong.
- What: USTR's second statutory four-year review of the China Section 301 tariffs is underway
- When: Review notice issued May 6, 2026; 178 product exclusions extended to Nov 10, 2026
- Who's hit: Importers of affected HTS lines from China (Lists 1–4A)
- Impact: Headline rates unchanged for now — 25% on Lists 1–3, 7.5% on List 4A
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has opened its second statutory four-year review of the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, issuing the notice on May 6, 2026 and inviting comment from domestic industry. In parallel — following the November 2025 U.S.–China trade understanding — USTR extended 178 product exclusions that had been set to lapse on November 29, 2025, now running through November 10, 2026.
For now the headline rates hold: 25% on Lists 1 through 3, and 7.5% on List 4A consumer goods. But a review cycle is exactly when scope moves — categories get added, narrowed, or re-priced — and the final rule rarely matches the draft the group chats panic over.
The discipline that saves money is unglamorous: read the final notice, map your own HTS codes against it, and plan around entry dates. If your goods are already on the water when a change takes effect, what matters is when they enter the country — not when they sailed.
From our warehouse floor“The operative detail is the ENTRY date, not the ship date. Containers loaded before a deadline but entering after it clear under the new rate.”
— MashBond customs desk
Informational only — not legal or customs advice. Verify against the primary source before acting.
