China's Tariff Exclusion Process
On May 13, 2019, China’s State Council Customs Tariff Commission announced the trial implementation of an exclusion process for additional Chinese tariffs imposed on specific products imported from the US. The official guidance encourages industry associations to represent their members and to apply for exclusions on their behalf.
Round One Applications
As a qualifying industry association, AmCham China submitted an application on behalf of several impacted member companies on July 5 for exclusions from Chinese tariffs imposed on US $34 billion of imports from the US (imposed July 6, 2018) and US $16 billion of imports from the US (imposed August 23, 2018). The first-round tariff exclusion application period officially concluded on July 5.
Round Two Applications
AmCham China is now accepting requests from member companies interested in applying for the Second Round of the tariff exclusion process, the application period for which will officially run between September 2 and October 18, 2019. Qualified entities can apply for an exclusion from Chinese tariffs imposed on US imports in response to the US imposition of tariffs on $200 billion of imports from China (imposed September 24, 2018).
The lists of products eligible for the SECOND ROUND of exclusion are as follows:
- 2,493 tax items listed in Annex 1 subject to a 25 percent tariff;
- 1,078 items listed in Annex 2 subject to a 20 percent tariff;
- 974 items listed in Annex 3 subject to a 10 percent tariff;
- 595 items listed in Annex 4 subject to a 5 percent tariff.
Applicants seeking a tariff exclusion must prepare the required information, including documentation and commercial data detailing how additional tariffs on Chinese imports of US goods:
- impact products for which there are no suitable alternative sources;
- cause serious economic damage to the applicant; and
- cause major negative structural impacts on the relevant industries or lead to serious social consequences.
Official Support is Now Available
If you have any questions regarding the application process in general, please visit the official website for online consultation or call the official hotline at (010) 5318 3759. This official support will be provided throughout the application process.
Third-Party Support
To better assist members, AmCham China is partnering with two service providers to support interested member companies throughout the Round 2 application process.
You may contact both service providers directly to customize the needed scope of services and related fees. Your selected service provider will work closely with you throughout the entire process, including collecting and compiling the required data to prepare your exclusion application.
For more details, please contact:
- Yuantai Yu at Deloitte via email at yuayu@deloitte.com.cn or by phone at +86-21- 61412137;
- Luna Qian at KPMG via email at luna.qian@kpmg.com or by phone at +86-10-85084747.
For general information regarding the Tariff Exclusion Process, please contact Yang Bai at AmCham China at ybai@amchamchina.org or by phone at + 86-10-8519 0853.
Please note that:
- This is a value-added service for AmCham China member companies only. Please contact KPMG and Deloitte directly for services prices. Once you have chosen a service provider, please notify Yang Bai and maintain contact throughout the application process.
- According to the State Council Tariff Commission, each company can only apply for a product exclusion ONCE. Therefore, if you decide to submit an application via AmCham China, please DO NOT re-submit on your own via the official website.
- To ensure there is enough time to collect the needed information, please notify AmCham China NO LATER THAN September 30, 2019 if you’re interested in applying via the chamber.