US tariffs on cartridges going ahead

August 14, 2019

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced the proposed ten percent tariff on cartridge imports from China, effective from 1 September 2019.

The United States Trade Representative announced the next steps in the process of imposing an additional tariff of ten percent on approximately $300 billion (€268 billion) of Chinese imports.

On 17 May 2019, USTR published a list of products imported from China that would be potentially subject to an additional ten percent tariff. This new tariff will go into effect on 1 September as announced by President Trump on 1 August.

In its most recent announcement, the USTR said that certain products are being removed from the tariff list based on health, safety, national security and other factors and will not face additional tariffs of ten percent.

For the imaging industry the following Harmonised Tarrif Schedules (HTS) are effected:

HTS 8443.32.50 (Single function units other than printer units (machines which perform only one of the functions of printing, copying or facsimile transmission),
HTS 8443.39.10 (Electrostatic photocopying apparatus, operating by reproducing the original image directly onto the copy (direct process)),
HTS 8443.39.90 (Other printers, copying machines or facsimile machines, nesoi),
HTS 8443.91.20 (Parts of textile printing machinery),
HTS 8443.91.30 (Parts for printing machinery other than textile printing machinery),
HTS 8443.99.25 (Parts and accessories of printers, nesoi)
HTS 8443.99.50 (Parts and accessories of other printing, copying or facsimile machines; nesoi), are still included on the list of items which will incur the ten percent tariffs starting 1 September 2019.

Further, as part of USTR’s public comment and hearing process, it was determined that the tariff should be delayed to December 15 for certain articles. Products in this group include, for example, cell phones, laptop computers, video game consoles, certain toys, computer monitors, and certain items of footwear and clothing.

The USTR intends to conduct an exclusion process for products subject to the additional tariff.