Office Of The United States Trade Representative Announces Spooky Start Date For List 4A Exclusion Requests

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it will begin accepting tariff exclusion requests for items on List 4A on October 31, 2019. Like Lists 1-3, anyone interested in filing exclusion requests to avoid another scary round of tariffs will need to use USTR’s electronic portal for submissions.

President Trump initially announced that these items would be subject to a 10 percent tariff, however, on August 30 it was announced that the rate would increase to 15 percent. The tariffs for List 4A took effect on September 1 and any exclusion granted will be retroactive to that date. We encourage all members to review the full list, as it features many products that may be of interest to the RV industry, including types of glues, pipes, metals, and interior items like door handles and blinds.

The electronic portal closes on January 31, 2020, at 11:59 pm EDT. As with all previous exclusion request processes, USTR has stated that each request must identify a specific product and provide supporting data and rationale for the requested exclusion. Any exclusion will be effective for one year, beginning from the September 1, 2019, effective date.

The RV Industry Association is happy to file letters in support of any member exclusion requests and has done so for previous lists. If you have any questions on the process or would like the Association to file a letter on your behalf, contact Samantha Rocci, Manager, Government and Political Affairs, at srocci@rvia.org.