The Trump administration’s threat to levy List 4 Section 301 tariffs of up to 25 percent on Chinese-made TVs and all other goods not previously dutied (see 1905140025) is “much broader, much deeper and much less likely to be resolved with a quick deal” than the Mexican import tariff threat, Bob O’Brien, president of Display Supply Chain Consultants, told the 8K Display Summit Tuesday. “I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better with respect to China.”

Consumer Technology Association members have identified 139 “line items for technology sector products” they want removed from List 4 of the proposed Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports, the association said in comments dated June 10 in docket USTR-2019-0004. “The annual import value from China of those items alone totals over $167 billion, over half of the entire value of the products on List 4,” CTA said.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:​

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for June 3-7 in case they were missed.

The International Trade Commission issued Revision 7 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The revised tariff schedule now reflects the removal of India from the Generalized System of Preferences program (see 1905310072), with the country removed from lists of GSP beneficiaries in General Note 4, and a bevy of subheadings for India removed from the list of country-product pairs ineligible for GSP because they exceeded Competitive Need Limitations. The new version also ends an exemption for India from Section 201 safeguards on solar cells and washing machines, because India is no longer considered a developing country that qualifies for the exemption. These changes took effect June 5.

TCL North America wants to testify at hearings next week to oppose List 4 Section 301 tariffs of up to 25 percent on finished TVs from China, commented Jonathan King, vice president-corporate and legal affairs, in docket USTR-2019-0004. Tariffs on sets imported from China under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule’s 8528.72.64 subheading would have a “negative impact” on U.S. consumers, American jobs and the consumer tech industry, said King.

Advanced Micro Devices is “working through” the U.S.-China “trade situation” as “an industry,” Ruth Cotter, senior vice president-marketing, human resources and investor relations, told a Bank of America Merrill Lynch investor conference Thursday. The chipmaker is “partnering” with the Semiconductor Industry Association “and others” to mitigate the impact of the List 3 Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, which increased to 25 percent May 10 (see 1905090018), she said. “We're watching it carefully and ensuring that we are somewhat risk-mitigated as it pertains to tariffs and managing that for our customers.” AMD sources products from two “foundry partners” based outside China, she said. It also has “some backend manufacturing assets” and “test and assembly” operations in Malaysia, “so some of that is outside of China as well,” she said. “So kind of well-positioned from that perspective. I would say we're watching and monitoring the situation carefully.”

Advanced Micro Devices is “working through” the U.S.-China “trade situation” as “an industry,” Ruth Cotter, senior vice president-marketing, human resources and investor relations, told a Bank of America Merrill Lynch investor conference Thursday. The chipmaker is “partnering” with the Semiconductor Industry Association “and others” to mitigate the impact of the List 3 Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, which increased to 25 percent May 10 (see 1905090018), she said. “We're watching it carefully and ensuring that we are somewhat risk-mitigated as it pertains to tariffs and managing that for our customers.” AMD sources products from two “foundry partners” based outside China, she said. It also has “some backend manufacturing assets” and “test and assembly” operations in Malaysia, “so some of that is outside of China as well,” she said. “So kind of well-positioned from that perspective. I would say we're watching and monitoring the situation carefully.”

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association wants 14 Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings removed from the proposed List 4 Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports (see 1905140025), commented the trade group in docket USTR-2019-0004 in its request to testify at hearings that begin June 17. More exclusion requests could be forthcoming when it testifies at the hearing, it said. The requests so far cover a broad swath of products and components, such as “longitudinally welded” steel (HTS 7305.31.20), lithium-ion batteries (8507.60.00), flashlights (8513.10.20), loudspeakers (8518.29.80) and LED lamps (8539.50.00). NEMA represents about 325 manufacturers whose “combined industries account for 360,000 American jobs in more than 7,000 facilities covering every state,” it said. “These industries produce $106 billion in shipments and $36 billion in exports of electrical equipment and medical imaging technologies per year.” Monday at midnight EDT is the deadline for requests to give oral testimony at the hearings. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is expected to release a schedule of witnesses for the hearings by June 14. Post-hearing rebuttal comments will be due seven days after the hearings end.

The National Retail Federation expects imports this summer and fall at major U.S. retail container ports to keep increasing “as retailers stock up inventory to get ahead” of higher Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports, said the group Friday. “With a major tariff increase already announced” on List 3 and the “possibility that tariffs could be imposed on nearly all goods and inputs from China, retailers are continuing to stock up while they can to protect their customers as much as possible against the price increases that will follow,” said NRF. “Tariffs are taxes paid by American businesses and consumers, not foreign governments. Retailers will continue to do everything they possibly can to mitigate the impact of tariffs on consumers, but if we see further escalation in the trade war, it will be much more difficult to avoid higher price tags on a wide range of products. It’s time to stop using American families as pawns in negotiations for better trade deals.” The Trump administration’s threat to impose tariffs on all imports from Mexico would have no effect on “cargo numbers at U.S. seaports” because those goods “travel by truck or train,” it said. NRF estimates U.S. ports handled 1.75 million 20-foot-long cargo containers or their equivalents in April, an 8.4 percent increase sequentially from March and a 6.9 percent increase year over year, it said. It forecasts volume will peak in August and October, making for highest monthly totals since record shipments last October “as retailers rushed to bring merchandise into the country ahead of expected tariff increases,” it said.