The Office of the U.S Trade Representative plans to issue some new product exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on the third list of products from China (see 2004230003), it said in a notice. The product exclusions apply retroactively to Sept. 24, 2018, the date the tariffs on the third list took effect, and will remain in effect until Aug. 7, 2020. New subheading 9903.88.45 will be used for these excluded products.

A steel and aluminum importer filed a lawsuit April 21 challenging the importer-specific exclusion process for Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum products as unconstitutional. Thyssenkrupp says the exclusions, which, unlike Section 301 exclusions, are only granted to the importer that requested them, violate the “Uniformity Clause” of the Constitution.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued a new group of product exclusions from the third group of Section 301 tariffs on goods from China. The new exclusions from the tariffs include "one 10-digit HTSUS subheading, which covers 20 separate exclusion requests, and 107 specially prepared product descriptions, which cover 157 separate exclusion requests," according to the notice. The product exclusions apply retroactively to Sept. 24, 2018, the date the third set of tariffs took effect. The exclusions will remain in effect until Aug. 7, 2020.

The International Trade Commission recently issued two revisions to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, largely to implement changes that had been previously announced to exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on goods from China and changes to tariffs on goods from the European Union imposed as part of the large civil aircraft dispute. Both revisions were issued by the ITC in March.

The Trump administration’s 90-day “limited duty deferral” for importers is “welcome news to retailers,” said National Retail Federation CEO Matthew Shay Monday. Many importers are getting “diminished or no revenue” during the pandemic “while still incurring costs, including the duties, taxes, and fees associated with imported merchandise for their clients and supply chains,” said Customs and Border Protection Sunday. “Aggravating matters, many major retail chains” are closing their stores voluntarily or to comply with mandated shutdowns, it said. The 90-day deferral “provides some retailers with additional liquidity and better cash flow, giving hope for business continuity and a faster recovery once the pandemic has passed,” he said. The deferral doesn’t apply to the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, which remain in effect. “We encourage the administration to broaden these deferrals for additional relief,” said Shay. The Information Technology Industry Council welcomes the administration's "action to alleviate tariff burdens," said CEO Jason Oxman Monday. "We urge more expansive action for the more than $370 billion of goods subject to Section 301 tariffs," he said: "Deferring payment on these tariffs would provide much-needed flexibility and facilitate the delivery of assets to U.S. healthcare providers, companies, and consumers” amid COVID-19.

The evaluation of exclusion requests related to COVID-19 is too slow, two senators say, and they're asking that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative eliminate duties on all imports covered by Section 301 that are needed to fight the pandemic. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., sent a letter to USTR Robert Lighthizer April 20, asking him to “work with [Health and Human Services (HHS)], the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Commerce, industry, and other relevant experts to develop a list of inputs, substitutes, machinery, and other products that U.S. companies need to meet the current demand for medical supplies, that will be subject to 301 tariff exemptions. U.S. companies must be able to access the materials needed to manufacture critical medical supplies without the added cost of 301 tariffs for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency, and they should not be subjected to the lengthy process of submitting tariff exemption requests for each individual input required to make products essential for addressing the ongoing pandemic. Time is of the essence, and these exclusions should be issued as soon as possible.”

The Trump administration’s 90-day “limited duty deferral” for importers is “welcome news to retailers,” said National Retail Federation CEO Matthew Shay Monday. Many importers are getting “diminished or no revenue” during the pandemic “while still incurring costs, including the duties, taxes, and fees associated with imported merchandise for their clients and supply chains,” said Customs and Border Protection Sunday. “Aggravating matters, many major retail chains” are closing their stores voluntarily or to comply with mandated shutdowns, it said. The 90-day deferral “provides some retailers with additional liquidity and better cash flow, giving hope for business continuity and a faster recovery once the pandemic has passed,” he said. The deferral doesn’t apply to the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, which remain in effect. “We encourage the administration to broaden these deferrals for additional relief,” said Shay. The Information Technology Industry Council welcomes the administration's "action to alleviate tariff burdens," said CEO Jason Oxman Monday. "We urge more expansive action for the more than $370 billion of goods subject to Section 301 tariffs," he said: "Deferring payment on these tariffs would provide much-needed flexibility and facilitate the delivery of assets to U.S. healthcare providers, companies, and consumers” amid COVID-19.

The Trump administration’s 90-day “limited duty deferral” for importers is “welcome news to retailers,” said National Retail Federation CEO Matthew Shay Monday. Many importers are getting “diminished or no revenue” during the pandemic “while still incurring costs, including the duties, taxes, and fees associated with imported merchandise for their clients and supply chains,” said Customs and Border Protection Sunday. “Aggravating matters, many major retail chains” are closing their stores voluntarily or to comply with mandated shutdowns, it said. The 90-day deferral “provides some retailers with additional liquidity and better cash flow, giving hope for business continuity and a faster recovery once the pandemic has passed,” he said. The deferral doesn’t apply to the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, which remain in effect. “We encourage the administration to broaden these deferrals for additional relief,” said Shay. The Information Technology Industry Council welcomes the administration's "action to alleviate tariff burdens," said CEO Jason Oxman Monday. "We urge more expansive action for the more than $370 billion of goods subject to Section 301 tariffs," he said: "Deferring payment on these tariffs would provide much-needed flexibility and facilitate the delivery of assets to U.S. healthcare providers, companies, and consumers” amid COVID-19.

The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated on April 20. The following headquarters rulings not involving carriers were modified on April 17 or April 20, according to CBP:

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 13-17 in case they were missed.