USTR announces List 4A exclusion portal for China 301 duties to open on October 31, 2019

On October 18, 2019, the United States Trade Representative published the procedures for requesting an exclusion from additional China 301 duties for products classified within a tariff subheading set out on Annex A to List 4 (published on August 20, 2019). The window for seeking product exemptions will be open from noon on October 31 and will close on January 31, 2020.

As you may recall, Annex A to List 4 contains the tariff numbers associated with most of The Vision Council's key member products, including lenses, frames, sunglasses, reading glasses, finished eyeglasses and many low vision devices. Under the exclusion procedures, those impacted by additional duties on goods originating in China pursuant to List 4A can petition to have your products excluded from these duties. This exclusion process pertains only to goods covered by tariff numbers on List 4A.

The Vision Council will be reviewing these procedures over the coming days and will provide additional guidance on how best to approach the process. In the meantime, any questions about this issue can be directed to Rick Van Arnam, The Vision Council regulatory affairs counsel, at rvanarnam@barnesrichardson.com.