Section 301 exclusions expire November 10, 2026

This guide includes affiliate links. If you sign up through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools that fit the job.

What are Section 301 exclusions?

A Section 301 exclusion removes the Section 301 tariff from one specific Chinese product, so it only pays its normal duty and any other layers. USTR grants them product by product, described by a 10-digit HTS code plus an exact product description. The current set was extended in November 2025 and published in the Federal Register on December 1, 2025, with a new end date of November 10, 2026.

Federal Register notice 2025-21671 (December 1, 2025). The annex lists every product with its HTS code and description.

What happens on November 10, 2026?

Unless USTR extends them again, the exclusions stop applying to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption, after 11:59 PM Eastern on November 9, 2026. What counts is the date of entry with US Customs, not the date the goods leave the factory or the date you paid. From November 10, an excluded product goes back to its Section 301 rate on top of everything else it pays.

What is the full tariff stack on Chinese goods today?

For a typical product from China, the US tariff is the customs value times every layer that applies, added together:

• Normal duty for the HTS code. For many consumer goods it is somewhere between 0% and about 6%; apparel and footwear are often much higher.
• Section 301: 25% on Lists 1 to 3, 7.5% on List 4A, and 25% to 100% on four-year review products such as electric vehicles (100%), semiconductors and solar cells (50%).
• Section 301 forced-labor tariff: 12.5% since July 24, 2026. Goods already paying Section 232 (steel, aluminum and some wood products, among others) are exempt.
• Customs fees: the merchandise processing fee, and the harbor maintenance fee on sea freight.

Example: what does an excluded product pay after November 10?

Take an illustrative $10,000 shipment of a product with a 5% normal duty, on List 3, that currently has an exclusion:

Illustrative rates; your normal duty depends on the exact HTS code. Merchandise processing and harbor fees not included.

How do you check if your product is excluded?

1. Find your full 10-digit HTS codeUse the code on your entries, or ask your customs broker. The first 8 digits are not enough.
2. Open the Federal Register annexNotice 2025-21671 of December 1, 2025 lists all 178 exclusions.
3. Match the code AND the descriptionMany exclusions cover only one version of a product, described in words. A product with the same code but a different description is not excluded.
4. Check how you claim itExcluded entries are reported with heading 9903.88.69 or 9903.88.70 alongside the product's own code.
5. Ask for a binding ruling if unsureUS Customs can give a binding ruling on classification before you claim anything. A wrong claim can mean back duty and penalties.

Does the US-China trade truce end on November 10?

No. The truce agreed in Busan on October 30, 2025 was extended in late September 2026 to January 10, 2027, and both sides activated a new Board of Trade. After the IEEPA ruling, the truce is mostly about holding the overall tariff level steady and keeping talks going. It does not change which exclusions expire. A separate Section 301 action on excess capacity has been discussed but not finalized, so watch for it.

What should you do before November 10?

1. Know your real stackFind your HTS code, check its Section 301 list and add every layer. Our tariff calculator does the adding.
2. Excluded? Look at your timingIf a shipment was planned for mid November, ask your forwarder whether it can be entered by November 9.
3. Re-exporting? Look into duty drawbackDrawback can return most of the duties paid on goods that leave the US again. It needs careful records, so work with a broker.
4. Price another country, with the full mathVietnam, Thailand, India and Mexico all come up. USMCA-qualifying goods from Mexico can generally enter without duty, but other countries carry their own tariffs now too: compare landed cost, not just the factory quote.

Frequently asked questions

General information as of October 6, 2026, not legal or customs advice. Exclusions are product-specific and can be extended or changed; confirm your classification with a licensed customs broker.