SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

A. Background

For background on the proceedings in this investigation, please see prior notices including 82 FR 40213 (August 24, 2017), 83 FR 14906 (April 6, 2018), 83 FR 28710 (June 20, 2018), 83 FR 33608 (July 17, 2018), 83 FR 38760 (August 7, 2018), 83 FR 40823 (August 16, 2018), 83 FR 47974 (September 21, 2018), 83 FR 49153 (September 28, 2018), 84 FR 20459 (May 9, 2019), 84 FR 43304 (August 20, 2019), 84 FR 45821 (August 30, 2019), 84 FR 57144 (October 24, 2019), 84 FR 69447 (December 18, 2019), 85 FR 3741 (January 22, 2020), 85 FR 13970 (March 10, 2020), and 85 FR 15244 (March 17, 2020).

In the August 20 notice (84 FR 43304), the U.S. Trade Representative, at the direction of the President, announced a determination to modify the action being taken in the Section 301 investigation by imposing an additional 10 percent ad valorem duty on products of China with an annual aggregate trade value of approximately $300 billion. The August 20 notice contains two separate lists of tariff subheadings, with two different effective dates. List 1, which is set out in Annex A of the August 20 notice, was effective September 1, 2019. List 2, which is set out in Annex C of the August 20 notice, was scheduled to take effect on December 15, 2019.

On August 30, 2019 (84 FR 45821), the U.S. Trade Representative, at the direction of the President, determined to modify the action being taken in the investigation by increasing the rate of additional duty from 10 to 15 percent ad valorem on the goods of China specified in Annex A (List 1) and Annex C (List 2) of the August 20 notice. On October 24, 2019 (October 24 notice), the U.S. Trade Representative established a process by which U.S. stakeholders could request exclusion of particular products classified within an 8-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) subheading covered by List 1 of the August 20 notice from the additional duties. See84 FR 57144. Subsequently, the U.S. Trade Representative announced a determination to suspend until further notice the additional duties on products set out in Annex C (List 2) of the August 20 notice. See84 FR 69447 (December 18, 2019). The U.S. Trade Representative later determined to further modify the action being taken by reducing the additional duties for the products covered in Annex A of the August 20 notice (List 1) from 15 percent to 7.5 percent. See85 FR 3741 (January 22, 2020).

Under the October 24 notice, requests for exclusion had to identify the product subject to the request in terms of the physical characteristics that distinguish the product from other products within the relevant 8-digit subheading covered by the August 20 notice. Requestors also had to provide the 10-digit subheading of the HTSUS most applicable to the particular product requested for exclusion, and could submit information on the ability of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to administer the requested exclusion. Requestors were asked to provide the quantity and value of the Chinese-origin product that the requestor purchased in the last three years, among other information. With regard to the rationale for the requested exclusion, requests had to address the following factors:

• Whether the particular product is available only from China and specifically whether the particular product and/or a comparable product is available from sources in the United States and/or third countries.
• Whether the imposition of additional duties on the particular product would cause severe economic harm to the requestor or other U.S. interests.
• Whether the particular product is strategically important or related to “Made in China 2025” or other Chinese industrial programs.

The October 24 notice stated that the U.S. Trade Representative would take into account whether an exclusion would undermine the objective of the Section 301 investigation.

The October 24 notice required submission of requests for exclusion from List 1 of the August 20 notice no later than January 31, 2020, and noted that the U.S. Trade Representative periodically would announce decisions. In March 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative announced two sets of exclusions. See85 FR 13970 and 85 FR 15244. The Office of the United States Trade Representative regularly updates the status of each pending request on the Exclusions Portal at https://exclusions.ustr.gov/​s/​docket?​docketNumber=​USTR-2019-0017.

B. Determination To Grant Certain Exclusions

Based on evaluation of the factors set out in the October 24 notice, which are summarized above, pursuant to sections 301(b), 301(c), and 307(a) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and in accordance with the advice of the interagency Section 301 Committee, the U.S. Trade Representative has determined to grant the product exclusions set out in the Annex to this notice. The U.S. Trade Representative's determination also takes into account advice from advisory committees and any public comments on the pertinent exclusion requests.

As set out in the Annex, the exclusions are reflected in five 10-digit HTSUS subheadings and 7 specially prepared product descriptions, which together cover 36 separate exclusion requests.

In accordance with the October 24 notice, the exclusions are available for any product that meets the description in the Annex, regardless of whether the importer filed an exclusion request. Further, the scope of each exclusion is governed by the scope of the 10-digit HTSUS subheading as described in the Annex, and not by the product descriptions set out in any particular request for exclusion. ( printed page 17938)

Paragraph A, subparagraphs (3)-(4) of the Annex contain conforming amendments to the HTSUS reflecting the modifications made by the Annex.

As stated in the October 24 notice, the exclusions will apply from September 1, 2019, the effective date of List 1 of the August 20 notice, and will extend for one year to September 1, 2020. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will issue instructions on entry guidance and implementation.

The U.S. Trade Representative will continue to issue determinations on pending requests on a periodic basis.

ANNEX

A. Effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 1, 2019, subchapter III of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) is modified:

1. by inserting the following new heading 9903.88.44 in numerical sequence, with the material in the new heading inserted in the columns of the HTSUS labeled “Heading/Subheading”, “Article Description”, and “Rates of Duty 1-General”, respectively:

2. by inserting the following new U.S. note 20(ww) to subchapter III of chapter 99 in numerical sequence:

“(ww) The U.S. Trade Representative determined to establish a process by which particular products classified in heading 9903.88.15 and provided for in U.S. notes 20(r) and (s) to this subchapter could be excluded from the additional duties imposed by heading 9903.88.15. See 84 FR 43304 (August 20, 2019), 84 FR 45821 (August 30, 2019), 84 FR 57144 (October 24, 2019) and 85 FR 3741 (January 22, 2020). Pursuant to the product exclusion process, the U.S. Trade Representative has determined that the additional duties provided for in heading 9903.88.15 shall not apply to the following particular products, which are provided for in the following enumerated statistical reporting numbers:

(1) 0505.10.0050

(2) 3926.90.9925

(3) 6506.10.3045

(4) 8512.10.2000

(5) 8528.72.6420

(6) Coverings, of plastics, designed to fit over wound sites or casts thereby forming a protective seal for keeping the covered area dry and debris free while showering or bathing (described in statistical reporting number 3926.90.9990)

(7) Pouches of plastics, of a kind used with manually operated pill or tablet crushers to capture the powdered medicaments (described in statistical reporting number 3926.90.9990)

(8) Refillable dispensers of plastics, designed for mounting on a vertical wall, of a kind used to store and dispense emesis containment bags in medical settings (described in statistical reporting number 3926.90.9990)

(9) Sterile urology drain bags of plastics, designed to fit over a urology table extension, with a flap extension that provides sterile separation of the patient from the table surface and directs fluids into and through a filter at the top of an attached drain hose leading to a collection container (described in statistical reporting number 3926.90.9990)

(10) Ice bags of textile materials, for treating injuries or soreness, each refillable (described in statistical reporting number 6307.90.9889)

(11) Identification wristbands of textile materials, each with a blank panel (described in statistical reporting number 6307.90.9889)

(12) Apparatus suitable for wearing on the wrist, having time-display functions, each article having an accelerometer and being capable of displaying and transmitting data sent to it by a network ( e.g., portable ADP unit, LAN or cellular network) (described in statistical reporting number 8517.62.0090)”

3. by amending the last sentence of the first paragraph of U.S. note 20(r) to subchapter III of chapter 99:

a. by inserting “; or (3) heading 9903.88.44 and U.S. note 20(ww) to subchapter III of chapter 99” after “U.S. note 20(uu) to subchapter III of chapter 99”;

b. by deleting “except as provided in heading 9903.88.39” and by inserting “except as provided in: (1) Heading 9903.88.39” in lieu thereof; and

c. by deleting “chapter 99 except as provided in heading 9903.88.42” and by inserting “chapter 99; (2) heading 9903.88.42” in lieu thereof.

4. by amending the article description of heading 9903.88.15;

a. by deleting “heading 9903.88.39 or” and inserting “headings 9903.88.39,” in lieu thereof;

b. by deleting “heading 9903.88.42,” and inserting “9903.88.42,” in lieu thereof; and

c. by inserting “or 9903.88.44,” after “9903.88.42,”.