U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued implementation guidance for the Section 301 Forced Labor duties announced by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
These additional duties apply to imports from 60 specified economies and become effective for goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. ET on July 24, 2026.
What You Need to Know
CBP has released filing instructions outlining how these new Section 301 duties will be administered, including:
- New Chapter 99 tariff classifications for affected imports
- Country-specific duty rates of 10% or 12.5%, depending on the country of origin
- General and country-specific exemptions
- Entry filing requirements and HTS reporting sequence
- Foreign Trade Zone guidance for qualifying merchandise
Transit Exception
CBP also provides a limited transit exception for qualifying shipments.
The additional duties generally will not apply to articles that:
- Were loaded onto the final vessel or mode of transportation before 12:01 a.m. ET on July 24, 2026, and
- Are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, before 12:01 a.m. ET on July 28, 2026.
What Importers Should Do
If your company imports products from any of the affected economies, now is a good time to:
- Review upcoming shipments and entry dates
- Confirm the country of origin and applicable tariff classification
- Determine whether any available exemptions may apply
- Evaluate the potential impact on landed costs and customs entries
Our Customs Brokerage team is actively monitoring these changes and is available to help determine how the new guidance may affect your shipments.
Learn More
For complete implementation guidance, including the list of affected economies, applicable Chapter 99 classifications, exemptions, and filing instructions, please review the official resources below:
We’re Here to Help
As additional guidance becomes available from CBP and USTR, Richard Murray & Co. will continue to keep our customers informed with timely trade updates.
If you have questions regarding your imports or how these new requirements may affect your business, please contact the Richard Murray & Co. team at customs@richard-murray.com.
