USTR announces new tariff exclusions
Products exempted include candy lollipops, plastic trays, steel step ladders and more.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on Friday announced new product exclusions, initiated in June.
The new exclusions come amid a nearly two-year trade war between the U.S. and China, which has hurt certain U.S. industries like farming and car manufacturing that rely significantly on China to buy and sell certain products necessary to keep costs low and demand high.
"The exclusions will apply from September 24, 2018, to August 7, 2020. U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP] will issue instructions on entry guidance and implementation," USTR General Counsel Joseph Barloon said in a statement, according to the press release.
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A worker operates a furnace at a steel plant in Hefei, Anhui province August 18, 2013. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo (Reuters)
"The [USTR] will continue to issue determinations on pending requests on a periodic basis," he added.
The list of products will be exempt from a 10 percent U.S. tariff on Chinese goods with an annual trade value of approximately $200 billion that were imposed in September 2018, the USTR said in a press release.
CBP administered certain exclusion requests submitted by stakeholders. Requestors had to specify whether products were only available in China, whether the tariffs would cause significant economic harm to the requestor, and whether specific products were important to China's "Made in China 2025" initiative, the USTR said.
Products exempted include candy lollipops, plastic trays, steel step ladders, vacuum cleaners, motors, bicycles, canoes, folding chairs, steel outdoor tables, floor lamps, desk lamps and more.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping tour the Forbidden City, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017, in Beijing, China. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) (AP)
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President Trump said the U.S. and China are in the "final throes" of finalizing the first phase of a tentative trade deal Tuesday at the White House.
He added that he has a "very good relationship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping and that the two sides are close on the deal, which was agreed upon last month. The two nations have been working to put it in writing since then and had hoped to sign it in mid-November.
Tensions escalated on Thursday, however, when China reacted angrily to Trump's decision to sign two bills that recognize and offer support to human rights for Hong Kong citizens.
Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng called the move a "serious interference in China's internal affairs and a serious violation of international law," according to a foreign ministry statement, The Associated Press reported.
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FOX Business' Paul Conner contributed to this report.