USTR Extends 178 China Tariff Exclusions and Ship-Fee Pause to January 2027
Two China trade deadlines that importers have been watching all fall were pushed back on the day they were due. On November 9, 2026, the US Trade Representative extended all 178 remaining Section 301 tariff exclusions for Chinese products and kept port fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated ships suspended, both into January 2027. This is a follow-up to our Section 301 exclusions article (Oct 18) and our port-fee proposal article (Oct 31).
Decision 1: 178 tariff exclusions extended to January 9, 2027
According to USTR's notice (FR Doc. 2026-22925, filed Nov 9, 2026), the Trade Representative "determined that it is appropriate to further extend all 178 current exclusions," citing "ongoing discussions with China."
- New end date: the extension covers goods entered on or after 12:01 a.m. ET on November 10, 2026 and before 11:59 p.m. ET on January 9, 2027.
- What's covered: 164 general exclusions plus 14 exclusions for certain solar manufacturing equipment, under HTSUS headings 9903.88.69 and 9903.88.70.
- Scope: each exclusion is limited to the 10-digit HTSUS numbers and product descriptions in the relevant US notes, and is available for any product that meets the description.
- Implementation: US Customs and Border Protection will issue entry guidance.
The notice traces how the list shrank: in December 2023 USTR reviewed 352 reinstated and 77 COVID-related exclusions, extended 164 of them in May 2024, and added 14 solar exclusions in September 2024.
TechTimes (Nov 9, 2026) notes that, unless USTR acts again, entries after January 9 pay the full Section 301 duty. Caixin Global (Nov 9, 2026) also reported the extension of the 178 categories.
Decision 2: China ship fees stay suspended to January 10, 2027
In a separate notice (FR Doc. 2026-22867), USTR finalized its October proposal: the maritime action is "further suspended through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on January 9, 2027." During the suspension, no party owes the port fees in Annexes I, II and III or the Annex V.A duties on ship-to-shore cranes and other cargo-handling equipment.
USTR said it received about 60 unique comments. Supporters said a further suspension "would avoid increased shipping costs and prevent commercial disruptions"; opponents argued the fees are needed to encourage investment in US shipbuilding.
| Measure | Was due to expire | Now extended to | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 178 Section 301 exclusions | Nov 9, 2026 | Jan 9, 2027 (11:59 p.m. ET) | FR Doc. 2026-22925 |
| Port fees on Chinese-built/operated ships (Annexes I–III) | Nov 9, 2026 | Suspended through Jan 9, 2027 (until Jan 10) | FR Doc. 2026-22867 |
| Duties on STS cranes and cargo-handling equipment (Annex V.A) | Nov 9, 2026 | Suspended through Jan 9, 2027 | FR Doc. 2026-22867 |
What it means for importers (our analysis)
No change at the border on November 10. If your products use one of the 178 exclusions, keep claiming it; the duty savings continue for two more months.
Another short window. Two months is brief. If you import excluded goods, decide whether to bring forward shipments that can clear before January 9, while weighing storage costs.
Ocean costs avoid a shock, for now. With port fees suspended, carriers have no new US port-fee charges to pass on through early January. The question returns ahead of Chinese New Year shipping.
Watch early January. Both measures now share one deadline. Expect the next decision in the first days of January 2027, tied to US–China talks.
Checklist for China importers
- Confirm whether any of your HTS codes fall under the 178 exclusions; see how to find your HTS code.
- Ask your broker to keep filing the exclusion headings correctly through January 9.
- Model costs with and without the exclusion for Q1 2027 shipments.
- Check ocean quotes for any surcharge language tied to port fees.
- Set a reminder for early January to check USTR's next notice.
How Atronia Innovations can help
We help Chinese factories and brands plan US inventory and pricing as tariffs and shipping costs change, with teams in Shenzhen and Los Angeles. Talk to our team about your Q1 2027 plan.
Sources
- USTR — Notice of Product Exclusion Extensions, FR Doc. 2026-22925 (filed Nov 9, 2026; publication Nov 10, 2026)
- USTR — Notice of Modification of Section 301 Action (maritime), FR Doc. 2026-22867 (filed Nov 9, 2026)
- Caixin Global — U.S. extends tariff exclusions for 178 Chinese product categories (Nov 9, 2026)
- TechTimes — USTR extends Section 301 tariff exclusions on Chinese goods; entries after January 9 pay full duty (Nov 9, 2026)
