The U.S. is “getting VERY close to a BIG DEAL with China” on trade, tweeted President Donald Trump at 9:35 a.m. EST Thursday. “They want it, and so do we!” Trump eight days earlier in London said he liked “the idea of waiting until after the election for the China deal” (see 1912030006). The 15 percent List 4B Section 301 tariffs are scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. Sunday. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative didn’t comment.

The Office of the U.S Trade Representative issued some new product exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on the third list of products from China, according to a pre-publication copy of a notice posted to the agency’s website Dec. 12 (see 1912130015). 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 9903.88.36 will be used for these products.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued a new set of product exclusions from the 25 percent Section 301 tariffs on goods from China. The exclusions include products from the third list of Section 301 goods. The new exclusions "are reflected in 9 ten-digit HTSUS subheadings and 35 specially prepared product descriptions, which cover 75 separate exclusion requests," according to the notice.

With the last round of consumer goods imported from China spared, and a reduction in Section 301 tariffs on about $120 billion in goods that were first subject to additional tariffs Sept. 1, some business interests welcomed the de-escalation, but warned that the U.S. should stay focused on more significant economic reforms in China. The tariffs on List 4a, which are at 15 percent and apply to about 3,800 8-digit tariff lines, will go to 7.5 percent.

The Section 301 tariffs on goods from China that were set to take effect on Dec. 15 will not go forward because a phase one deal between the U.S. and China was reached, President Donald Trump said in a Dec. 13 tweet. "The Penalty Tariffs set for December 15th will not be charged because of the fact that we made the deal," he said.

ViewSonics couldn't find “available” U.S. sourcing for the projectors it imports from China under the 8528.62.00.00 tariff subheading, it said in a tariff-exemption request. It seeks an exclusion from the 15 percent Section 301 tariffs it has paid on the projectors since the duties took effect Sept. 1, said the request posted Tuesday in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative public docket. ViewSonics is “still in the process” of finding factory availability in third countries, it said: “We have plans in place to source some projector SKU’s in third countries based on available resources and factory capacity, but we do need more time before the transition occurs.”

Americans for Free Trade wants President Donald Trump to "suspend" imposing the 15 percent List 4B Section 301 tariffs Sunday if a “Phase One” trade deal isn’t reached with China, it wrote the White House Wednesday. It’s “incredibly important for the ongoing negotiations to be allowed to continue without the specter of new tariffs taking effect before a deal is signed,” it said. As Trump previously delayed implementing 4B “specifically to avoid harming American consumers over the holidays,” he should extend the delay “until a deal is reached,” it said. “We strongly support using the Phase One deal to include reciprocal elimination of existing tariffs,” said the group. “Such an action would send an important economic signal while providing immediate relief to job creators.” The group supports reaching a trade deal “that achieves meaningful change in our trading relationship with China and provides business certainty for the future.” The White House didn’t comment.

President Donald Trump tweeted Dec. 12 that U.S. and China negotiators are “Getting VERY close to a BIG DEAL with China. They want it, and so do we!” However, Trump has said before that the two sides were very close -- including two months ago -- and nothing came of it. Numerous media outlets reported Dec. 12 that administration officials said an agreement in principle has been reached between China and the U.S., but no announcement had been made by press time. Several media outlets reported that the U.S. was willing to cancel tariffs set to take effect Dec. 15 and cut existing Section 301 tariffs by half, and an adviser to the president said Trump would cut tariffs, but did not say by how much. An announcement is expected on Dec. 13.

Americans for Free Trade wants President Donald Trump to "suspend" imposing the 15 percent List 4B Section 301 tariffs Sunday if a “Phase One” trade deal isn’t reached with China, it wrote the White House Wednesday. It’s “incredibly important for the ongoing negotiations to be allowed to continue without the specter of new tariffs taking effect before a deal is signed,” it said. As Trump previously delayed implementing 4B “specifically to avoid harming American consumers over the holidays,” he should extend the delay “until a deal is reached,” it said. “We strongly support using the Phase One deal to include reciprocal elimination of existing tariffs,” said the group. “Such an action would send an important economic signal while providing immediate relief to job creators.” The group supports reaching a trade deal “that achieves meaningful change in our trading relationship with China and provides business certainty for the future.” The White House didn’t comment.

CBP's proposal to modify rulings on women's shirts with partial openings and no means of closure would result in “overturning decades of precedent that CBP itself established, and longtime industry practice,” the American Apparel and Footwear Association said in Dec. 6 comments to the agency. The proposed change would “have a huge tariff impact on what is one of the largest apparel categories on the market -- women’s cotton tops,” the group said. CBP proposed the modification in the Nov. 6 Customs Bulletin (see 1911080014), and comments were due Dec. 6.