US Extends 178 China Tariff Exclusions
The US Trade Representative has rolled over Section 301 duty exclusions on Chinese goods to 9 January 2027.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in International Trade
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The US Trade Representative extended 178 Section 301 product exclusions for Chinese imports, which were set to lapse at 23:59 on 9 November 2026. The extension took effect at 00:01 on 10 November 2026 and runs to 9 January 2027.
Why it matters
Without the extension, additional duties of 7.5% to 25% would have resumed on covered goods cleared after 9 November 2026. The roll-over keeps those costs off a range of industrial, medical and solar manufacturing equipment for the time being.
The extension covers 178 exclusions, including 164 industrial and medical products and 14 solar equipment items, with duties of 7.5% to 25% resuming if they lapse. Whether the exclusions will be renewed after 9 January 2027 has not been determined.
The players
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR)
The USTR is the cabinet-level office responsible for developing and coordinating US trade policy, including the Section 301 tariff actions against China.
The details
The 14 solar items include silicon growth furnaces, polysilicon ingot furnaces, wafer cutting machines, diamond wire saws and coating inspection equipment. Eligibility depends on the date goods enter the United States and are released for consumption, not on when they shipped.
Timeline
6 November 2026: USTR announced the extension.
9 November 2026 at 23:59: original exclusions were due to expire.
10 November 2026 at 00:01: extension took effect.
9 January 2027 at 23:59: extended exclusions expire.
Market Dynamics
The extension continues a series of short-term renewals of Section 301 exclusions under the tariffs first imposed on Chinese goods in 2018. Each roll-over defers the reinstatement of duties without resolving the underlying tariff structure.
Importers of covered industrial, medical and solar equipment keep current duty rates until 9 January 2027, which affects landed cost and pricing for those inputs. Companies planning US cell and module capacity expansion may see lower near-term equipment costs as a result.
The takeaway
Importers should track the 9 January 2027 expiry date, since duties of 7.5% to 25% return on covered goods unless the exclusions are renewed. Timing of customs entry, not shipment, determines which rate applies.
What happens next
The extended exclusions expire at 23:59 on 9 January 2027, when additional duties would resume absent a further extension.
Further reading
Browse more coverage of International Trade developments affecting US import costs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Metal.
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