On 31st May, the exclusion status of a class of textiles that has been shielded from the initial 2018 tariffs on Chinese goods for years will come to an end. Important parts for basic bedding are excluded from Sec. 301 tariffs. Originally scheduled to expire in May 2024, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) granted them a one-year extension.
Since the Trump administration temporarily halted the execution of a 145 per cent tariff, such products will now be subject to their usual underlying duty rate plus their Section 301 rate (either 7.5 per cent or 25 per cent) and the 30 per cent tariff that was most recently imposed.
The following Chinese-made goods are excluded from the expiring tariff exclusions:
Feathers
Down
Pillow shells of cotton, filled with goose or duck down
Protective cotton encasements for pillows
Certain lotion dispensers weighing less than 3 kg.
Certain silk fabrics
Certain long pile knit fabrics
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued a warning over the weekend that nations subject to the Trump administration’s higher tariffs must reach trade agreements during the 90-day “pause.” Rates for those who don’t will return to the “reciprocal” levels that President Trump established in early April.
