US extends tariff exemption on imported Chinese surgical masks for 6 more months
- As infections rise again in the US, additional exclusions are granted for Chinese products that help prevent spread of Covid-19
- US President Joe Biden has come under pressure to lift some or all tariffs on Chinese goods because of rising inflation
The US government announced on Friday that it would extend for six months its tariff exclusions for surgical masks and other Chinese products that help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
The exclusions will remain in effect until November 30, and the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) “may continue to consider further extensions and/or additional modifications as appropriate”, it said in a Federal Register notice.
Amid a recent rise in Covid-19 infections, the USTR determined that tariff exclusions for 81 product categories were necessary. The decision came after a review of public comments and advisories from other US government agencies responsible for managing the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods.
The tariff waiver for coronavirus-related products was initiated in March 2020, when the pandemic began surging in the United States, and has been renewed five times since.
The latest wave of infections has been caused by the highly transmissible and contagious BA.2 Omicron coronavirus subvariant.