The 178 remaining Section 301 exclusions on Chinese goods end at 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 9, 2026. From November 10, products that currently enter free of Section 301 duties under HTS headings 9903.88.69 and 9903.88.70 will pay the regular Section 301 rate for their list, typically 25%, unless USTR extends the exclusions again. As of October 29, no extension has been announced.
Deadline: exclusions apply through 11:59 p.m. Eastern, November 9, 2026
Headings: 9903.88.69 (Annex A) and 9903.88.70 (Annex B)
After expiry: the product's normal Section 301 rate, usually 25% (Lists 1–3) or 7.5% (List 4A)
Source: Federal Register notice 2025-21671, published December 1, 2025
What Are the Section 301 Exclusions?
Since 2018, most goods imported from China have paid extra Section 301 tariffs on top of regular duties, split across Lists 1 to 4A. USTR has let some products avoid those duties through product exclusions, granted by 10-digit HTS code and product description.
The 178 exclusions still in force come from two groups:
- 164 exclusions carried forward in May 2024, covering a range of industrial and consumer products
- 14 exclusions added in September 2024 for solar-manufacturing equipment
USTR extended them in November 2025, after the US–China trade arrangement announced on November 1, 2025 (USTR announcement). The Federal Register notice sets the end date: the exclusions apply through 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 9, 2026.
Why you may see "November 10" and "December 31": USTR's announcement says the exclusions were extended "until November 10, 2026", meaning they end before that day. The December 31, 2026 date in the notice refers to China's own tariff exclusions on US goods, not the US exclusions.
What Changes on November 10, 2026
Unless USTR acts before the deadline:
- Entries on or after November 10 can no longer claim 9903.88.69 or 9903.88.70.
- The product pays the Section 301 duty for its list, on top of its regular duty and any other tariffs that apply:
| Section 301 list | Typical rate after the exclusion ends |
|---|---|
| List 1, List 2, List 3 | 25% |
| List 4A | 7.5% |
| Lines raised in the 2024 review | Higher, depending on the product |
- Duty is paid at entry. For a business importing every month, that means more cash out the door weeks before the goods are sold.
How Much More Will You Pay?
On a $100,000 shipment of List 3 goods, losing the exclusion adds $25,000 in Section 301 duty. At two shipments a month, that's $50,000 a month, or $600,000 a year, in extra cash tied up in duties. Run your own numbers:
What Importers Should Do Before November 9
- Confirm which of your products are excluded. Match each product's 10-digit HTS code and description against Annex A and Annex B of the notice. Both must match. Check your codes with our HTS code lookup.
- Map the entry timing with your customs broker. Exclusions apply by entry date, not ship date. Shipments that arrive after November 9 will generally pay the full rate.
- Recalculate landed costs and update pricing for affected SKUs, including the full duty stack. See US tariff rates by country and the China tariff page.
- Plan the cash. Extra duty is paid when goods clear customs. See whether to pay customs duty upfront or finance it.
- Review sourcing. For long-term exposure, compare suppliers in other countries, including their tariff rates and lead times.
- Watch for an extension. USTR has extended these exclusions several times. Check the USTR Section 301 page and the Federal Register in early November.
Paying Higher Duties Without Draining Cash
Higher duties hit cash flow first: you pay at the port, but your customers pay you 30, 60 or 90 days later. Two ways to keep cash in the business:
- Vendor financing: Drip Capital pays your overseas supplier, and you repay in 30–90 days, so supplier payments don't compete with duty bills. Funding goes up to $3M with no collateral.
- Business line of credit: an unsecured line of up to $1M you can draw on for any business purpose, including customs duties, with funds within 24 hours of a draw.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do the Section 301 exclusions expire?
The 178 remaining Section 301 product exclusions on Chinese goods run through 11:59 p.m. Eastern on November 9, 2026, according to the Federal Register notice published December 1, 2025. Goods entered on or after November 10, 2026 lose the exclusion unless USTR extends it.
What are HTS 9903.88.69 and 9903.88.70?
They are the Chapter 99 headings importers declare to claim the Section 301 exclusions. Heading 9903.88.69 covers the exclusions listed in U.S. note 20(vvv)(i), and 9903.88.70 covers those in U.S. note 20(www). The excluded products themselves are listed by 10-digit HTS code and description.
What duty applies after a Section 301 exclusion expires?
The product returns to the Section 301 duty for its list: typically 25% for List 1, 2 and 3 goods and 7.5% for List 4A goods, with higher rates on some lines. That is on top of the regular duty and any other tariffs that apply.
Will USTR extend the Section 301 exclusions again?
As of October 29, 2026, USTR has not announced a further extension. It extended these exclusions several times before, most recently in November 2025, but importers should plan for the exclusions to end on November 9.
Do goods already shipped keep the exclusion?
Coverage depends on when goods are entered for consumption or withdrawn from a warehouse, not when they were shipped. Goods that arrive and are entered after the deadline generally pay the full Section 301 duty. Confirm timing with your customs broker.
How do I check if my product has a Section 301 exclusion?
Compare your product's 10-digit HTS code and its description with the exclusions in Annex A and Annex B of the Federal Register notice. Both must match. You can look up your code's rates with Drip Capital's HTS code lookup.
Sources: Federal Register notice 2025-21671 (Dec 1, 2025) · USTR announcement (Nov 26, 2025) · USTR Section 301 investigations
Related: Section 301 tariffs · US tariff on China · Reciprocal tariffs status · Duty vs tariff · Customs duty: pay upfront or finance?
