Last week, President Trump announced that he would be moving forward with “List 4” 301 tariffs on approximately $300 billion in Chinese goods. The 10 percent tariff will take effect Sept. 1 and covers nearly all remaining goods imported from China – 3,805 full and partial tariff subheadings.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin traveled to Shanghai last week, where they engaged in talks that the White House at the time called “constructive.” Insiders, however, said they were told by participants that most were not convinced that anything would be accomplished in a follow-up meeting scheduled for early September.
China has insisted that it will not enact any of its commitments until there is a final agreement in which the U.S. lifts all tariffs. According to the RV Industry Association, this list is expected to hit American consumers harder than the previous lists, as it includes goods like clothes, toys, electronics and other retail items.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released the full list of products that could be included in May and held seven days of hearings in June. The final list will be published in the coming days, according to a spokesperson for USTR. While the president indicated in his tweets that the tariff could “be lifted up to well beyond 25 percent” if no deal is reached with China, it will start at ten percent. RVIA’s government affairs team reviewed the potential list and narrowed it down to those items that may affect the RV industry.
Whether USTR will offer an exclusion process for the 10 percent tariff, and how it would grant such exclusions, is unclear. RVIA’s government affairs team will continue to monitor this list and keep members updated on the process.
