Section 301 tariffs are additional US duties applied to specified categories of Chinese-origin goods, layered on top of standard tariff rates, introduced in stages since 2018 and subject to periodic review by the US Trade Representative's office. The product lists covered, and the rates applied to them, have changed multiple times since introduction — exclusions granted and later expired, new product categories added, rates adjusted on specific lists.
This makes Section 301 one of the more genuinely live and fast-moving parts of China-sourcing cost planning, in contrast to more stable elements like standard MFN tariff rates, which change far less frequently. An importer working from a Section 301 rate confirmed even a year or two ago should re-verify it against the current list before finalizing landed-cost projections for a new order.
Because the specific HS code, not just the general product category, determines which list (if any) a given item falls under, a product that seems similar to a Section 301-covered item can sometimes be unaffected, or vice versa — which is part of why accurate tariff classification matters even more for Chinese-origin goods entering the US than it does for most other origin-destination pairs.
We do not set or advise on Section 301 rate determinations — that is a US customs and trade law question for the importer's broker or trade counsel — but we do flag when a shipment's classification sits in a category known to carry active Section 301 exposure, so the importer can confirm current status before committing.