USTR Seeking Comments on Section 301 Tariff Increases From 25% to 30%
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced Aug. 29 that it is seeking comments through Regulations.gov on the efficacy of increasing Section 301 tariffs from 25 percent to 30 percent in order to convince China to stop trade abuses. The office also invites businesses and trade groups to explain if the increase on any particular product would cause disproportionate harm to U.S. consumers or businesses. Comments are due by Sept. 20; the increase is scheduled to take effect Oct. 1.
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The notice didn't mention a public hearing on the proposed hike, and was the first time in the various tariff notice and comment periods that a specific effective date was mentioned. The three lists of tariff subheadings are unchanged from those already in effect, it said. The tariff increases won’t affect any exclusions already granted, it said.
USTR wants comments to “address specifically” whether increasing the tariffs to 30 percent “would be practicable or effective to obtain the elimination” of China's allegedly unfair trade practices such as on IP and tech transfer. It wants to know if hiking the tariff on a particular product listed in the annexes to the notice “would cause disproportionate economic harm to U.S. interests, including small- or medium-sized businesses and consumers.” The agency previously released its official notice on the increase to the fourth tranche of tariffs to 15 percent set to begin on Sept. 1 (see 1908270066).