Section 301 treatment for China-origin goods depends on the product provision, the relevant action, and the entry date. Confirm the HTS classification and full product description before reviewing Chapter 99 notes and exclusions. A Free base MFN rate does not establish that the shipment is free of additional duties.
Start a China-to-US cost scenario, or review policy layers with China prefilled. Leave an unverified additional-duty field blank; do not enter zero merely to obtain a total.
A verified 2026 update to check
USTR notice 2026-17925, published September 2, 2026, makes conforming amendments to four existing product exclusions following changes to ten-digit HTS reporting categories. The amendments take effect July 1, 2026 and are intended to preserve the existing product coverage. This is not a blanket exclusion for China-origin merchandise. Read the notice and annex.
For a shipment reviewed against an older supplier code, compare the updated statistical provision, the full exclusion description, and the applicable dates. A code change does not by itself establish eligibility. This source was retrieved October 3, 2026; retrieval is not an effective date or a certification that every later action has been reviewed.
Review the shipment in five steps
- Classify the product. Collect its material, function, construction, specifications, intended use, and whether it is imported as a set. Read the provision, parent headings, and relevant notes in the USITC HTS. Treat a supplier code as a lead until its US classification has been checked.
- Record the base duty separately. Preserve the original General-column expression and units. Do not convert a specific or compound duty into a percentage without the measurements needed to calculate it.
- Find the relevant Section 301 action. The USTR China Section 301 directory links the action lists, four-year review, and exclusion processes. Follow the applicable notice and Chapter 99 note instead of applying a generic country rate.
- Check the full exclusion scope. Match the product description, any technical conditions, the note number, and the entry window. A similar name, matching code, or prior exclusion is not sufficient evidence for the present shipment.
- Keep other layers separate. Review Section 232, AD/CVD, quotas, other Chapter 99 measures, and preferences where relevant. Confirming one layer does not resolve the others.
Keep the dates distinct
| Date | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Publication date | When the document was published |
| Effective start and end | The rule's stated time window |
| Entry or withdrawal for consumption | The shipment time to compare with the rule; cutovers may require a timezone-qualified instant |
| Retrieval date | When the source was read, not whether the shipment was approved |
For legal research, follow the Federal Register document's official PDF and retain its page, note, and annex references. A search excerpt or this guide is not a filing basis.
Save a reviewable cost scenario
Record the product facts, candidate HTS, origin, entry date, valuation basis, quantity, and measurement units. For each cost or duty layer, preserve its source, original expression, effective window, exclusion conditions, and whether it is source-checked, assumed, or unresolved.
Use the import-cost source checklist for handoff. Then open the calculator to add freight, insurance, fees, and margin assumptions. Its subtotal excludes unresolved costs; exporting a scenario does not turn it into a verified final total.
If scope remains unclear, take a specific question to a customs broker or request a one-time review. Monitoring belongs to a saved product and its sources. A changed webpage is a signal to review, not proof that the applicable duty changed.
Coverage of this update
This revision checks the USTR directory and notice identified above and updates the tool links. It is not a complete current rate table for all China-origin goods and does not approve any shipment. Recheck the relevant source for the shipment's entry date before relying on a quote.
