U.S. request for comments, extension of exclusions of medical product imported from China (COVID-19)

Comments must be submitted by September 27, 2021.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) today released for publication in the Federal Register a notice and request for comments concerning the Section 301 investigation of China’s acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation.

Prior USTR notices excluded from additional customs duties certain medical care products that were intended to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. The USTR in March 2021 extended certain product exclusions—that is, removed Section 301 customs duties from medical care products that address COVID-19—through September 30, 2021. Read TradeNewsFlash

According to today’s USTR notice [PDF 224] with the recent spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, there are increasing numbers of medical cases in the United States. In light of these changing circumstances, including the ability of the United States to obtain certain products domestically or from other sources, the USTR is requesting public comments as to whether to extend particular exclusions for COVID-19 products for up to six months.

Source KPMG

---

---