Companies large and small, new and more than a century old all told government officials to keep apparel and footwear off the fourth list of Section 301 tariffs. The witnesses testified June 17, on the first of seven days of hearings from industries and trade groups about the possibility of additional 25 percent tariffs on nearly all Chinese imports that have not yet been targeted.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer faced criticism about President Donald Trump's China policy, which both Democrats and Republicans noted is hurting U.S. businesses and, if tariffs come on List 4, will dearly cost U.S. consumers. Lighthizer, who was testifying June 18 at the Senate Finance Committee about the administration's trade policy, said there's been no decision on whether there will be tariffs on another $300 billion in Chinese imports. "The president will make that decision in the next few weeks," he said, and if tariffs are levied, there will be an exclusion process. "We think we have been fair in granting exclusions," he said.

Hearings that begin Monday on the proposed List 4 Section 301 tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese imports not previously dutied will span seven full days through June 25 and include roughly 320 witnesses organized into 54 panels, said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Friday. Unless there comes a change in the terms of USTR’s May 17 notice announcing the List 4 tariffs, post-hearing rebuttal comments would be due July 2, seven days after the hearings end, marking the last deadline in the List 4 proceeding before President Donald Trump decides whether to put the duties into effect. USTR ordered List 3 into effect Sept. 24, less than three weeks after post-hearing rebuttals in that proceeding came due Sept. 6. CTA is scheduled to testify the afternoon of June 24 on the same panel as Christie Digital Systems, Jasco Products and JLab Audio. CTA had asked for that arrangement in its June 10 request to appear. Other notables on the witness list: (1) Element Electronics, Best Buy, Roku, iRobot and TCL North America all testifying together Monday on Panel 4; (2) HP testifying Tuesday on Panel 11; (3) the Retail Industry Leaders Association, National Retail Federation and Information Technology Industry Council appearing together Friday on Panel 38; (4) Fitbit appearing June 25 on Panel 50; (5) Sony Interactive Entertainment and Vizio testifying together June 25 on Panel 53.

Hearings that begin Monday on the proposed List 4 Section 301 tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese imports not previously dutied will span seven full days through June 25 and include roughly 320 witnesses organized into 54 panels, said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Friday. Unless there comes a change in the terms of USTR’s May 17 notice announcing the List 4 tariffs, post-hearing rebuttal comments would be due July 2, seven days after the hearings end, marking the last deadline in the List 4 proceeding before President Donald Trump decides whether to put the duties into effect. USTR ordered List 3 into effect Sept. 24, less than three weeks after post-hearing rebuttals in that proceeding came due Sept. 6. CTA is scheduled to testify the afternoon of June 24 on the same panel as Christie Digital Systems, Jasco Products and JLab Audio. CTA had asked for that arrangement in its June 10 request to appear. Other notables on the witness list: (1) Element Electronics, Best Buy, Roku, iRobot and TCL North America all testifying together Monday on Panel 4; (2) HP testifying Tuesday on Panel 11; (3) the Retail Industry Leaders Association, National Retail Federation and Information Technology Industry Council appearing together Friday on Panel 38; (4) Fitbit appearing June 25 on Panel 50; (5) Sony Interactive Entertainment and Vizio testifying together June 25 on Panel 53.

The Office of Management and Budget Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs approved a new information collection requested by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in order to begin the exclusion process for goods from China in the third tranche of Section 301 tariffs. OIRA approved the new form on June 14 after USTR sought an "emergency" review that allowed for expedited treatment, according to OIRA's page on the form. USTR requested the new information collection last month and said it planned to begin taking requests by around June 30 (see 1905210048).

Hearings that begin Monday on the proposed List 4 Section 301 tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese imports not previously dutied will span seven full days through June 25 and include roughly 320 witnesses organized into 54 panels, said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Friday. Unless there comes a change in the terms of USTR’s May 17 notice announcing the List 4 tariffs, post-hearing rebuttal comments would be due July 2, seven days after the hearings end, marking the last deadline in the List 4 proceeding before President Donald Trump decides whether to put the duties into effect. USTR ordered List 3 into effect Sept. 24, less than three weeks after post-hearing rebuttals in that proceeding came due Sept. 6. CTA is scheduled to testify the afternoon of June 24 on the same panel as Christie Digital Systems, Jasco Products and JLab Audio. CTA had asked for that arrangement in its June 10 request to appear. Other notables on the witness list: (1) Element Electronics, Best Buy, Roku, iRobot and TCL North America all testifying together Monday on Panel 4; (2) HP testifying Tuesday on Panel 11; (3) the Retail Industry Leaders Association, National Retail Federation and Information Technology Industry Council appearing together Friday on Panel 38; (4) Fitbit appearing June 25 on Panel 50; (5) Sony Interactive Entertainment and Vizio testifying together June 25 on Panel 53.

Last August, Mike Branson, executive vice president of Rheem Manufacturing's air conditioning division, warned that if 8145.90.80 wasn't added to Section 301 tariffs, Chinese air conditioner exporters would avoid tariffs on their goods (see 1808210011). On June 17, Branson was back at a Section 301 tariffs hearing saying that's exactly what's happening.

Public hearings that begin June 17 on the proposed List 4 Section 301 tariffs on $300 billion in Chinese imports not previously dutied will span seven full days through June 25 and include roughly 320 witnesses, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a June 14 notice. Based on USTR’s May 17 notice announcing the List 4 tariffs, post-hearing rebuttal comments would be due July 2, seven days after the hearings end, marking the last deadline in the List 4 proceeding before President Donald Trump decides whether to put the duties into effect. June 17 is also the deadline for written comments in the List 4 proceeding.

Seven full business days of testimony in front of the International Trade Commission on List 4 of Chinese products set for Section 301 tariffs begins June 17 (see 1906140042). Representatives from dozens of industries -- including apparel, bicycles, tech, chemicals, textiles, equipment manufacturing, retail, shipping, pharmaceutical and air conditioning -- will testify. The testimony will not be televised, but submitted comments can be read at regulations.gov.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said it's too speculative to say whether the imposition of tariffs on List 4 of Section 301 goods from China might be put on hold after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet at the G-20 summit at the end of June. In fact, Ross told Bloomberg TV June 13 that it's not clear whether the two will share just a brief conversation, or a dinner. "We don't know for sure there will be a meeting," he said.