The US Trade Representative’s office announced that it had decided to extend the exemption from these tariffs for “352 of the 549 eligible products.”
The office stressed that the exemption will be granted after examining “each case on a case-by-case basis” in the event that it is not possible to find an alternative for products imported from China.
The office indicated that companies wishing to benefit from the exemption must justify their request.
Small and medium American companies denounced those customs duties that they must pay because they were unable to obtain supplies from other sources.
“Today’s decision came after careful consideration” of public opinions and “in consultation with other US agencies,” the office said.
The Trump administration, in denouncing Beijing’s “unfair” trade practices that led to a huge US trade deficit, imposed punitive tariffs on $370 billion worth of Chinese products imported annually by the United States.
More than 2,200 exemptions were granted, and the effects of 549 exemptions were extended. According to the Office of the Trade Representative, “the majority of these exemptions expired on December 31, 2020,” less than a month before the end of Trump’s term.
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