USTR Issues Additional Details Of Proposed Tariff Increases On PPE And Syringes
May 22, 2024
Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released additional details on the codes for facemasks, gloves, and needles from China slated for tariff increases. The Federal Register notice published today is a follow up from last week’s White House announcement on the tariff proposal and the four-year review of the tariff lists from 2018 and 2019 conducted by USTR. The proposal for needles and syringes is a 50% tariff and for face masks and gloves the USTR proposes an increase to 25%.
Key takeaways and relevant HTSUS codes for impacted facemasks, gloves and needles are below.
Key Takeaways
- Comments are due June 28.
- Any proposed tariffs for 2024 will take effect on August 1 after being finalized.
- The exclusion process is only for machinery for domestic manufacturing (not for medical products).
- USTR asks for comments on:
- Impact of the proposals on the economy and consumers
- If the tariff rate on medical products should be higher than proposed
- For facemasks, if additional statistical reporting codes under tariff subhead 6307.90.98 should be included
Impacted Products
HTSUS Subheadings are italicized in green.
Facemasks
- N95 Respirators of Textiles: 25% in 2024. 6307.90.9845
- Respirators of Textiles, Other than N95: 25% in 2024. 6307.90.9850
- Face Masks of Textiles, Other than Disposable: 25% in 2024. 6307.90.9875
Medical Gloves
- Medical or surgical gloves of vulcanized rubber other than hard rubber: 25% in 2026. 4015.12.10
Syringes And Needles
- Syringes, with or without their needles; parts and accessories thereof: 50% in 2024. 9018.31.00
- Tubular metal needles and needles for sutures, used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, and parts and accessories thereof: 50% in 2024. 9018.32.00
The separate list of 77 COVID-19 products that are currently excluded from tariffs is not discussed in this announcement. However, those exclusions expire on May 31 and an announcement is expected soon.
Additional Reading
As a courtesy, this GA Alert has been made available to all of our readers.
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