While the Chinese government has not made an official announcement, industry sources report that Beijing will suspend its market-based tariff exclusion process for certain U.S. imports, including many agricultural goods, starting August 1, 2025. Approved exclusions will remain valid only until September 14, 2025.
According to reports from Chinese importers to FAS China, the Ministry of Finance's online application platform displays a pop-up message when applying for tariff exclusions. The message states, "No new applications will be accepted for this tariff line from August 1, 2025, and approved applications will be valid until September 14, 2025." As of now, the Ministry has issued no public explanation for the change.
It remains unclear whether the suspension applies to all relevant U.S. products. However, industry contacts confirm that most U.S. agricultural exports are affected. These include grains, oilseeds, meat, pulses, tree nuts, fruit, alcohol, and leather/hide products.
China's market-based exclusion process was introduced in March 2020 by the State Council Tariff Commission (SCTC) under the Ministry of Finance. The program allows importers to apply for waivers on Section 301 retaliatory tariffs affecting goods from the United States. The current list includes 696 tariff lines, around 150 of which are agriculture-related. Additionally, SCTC accepts applications for products not listed. Note: Section 232 retaliatory tariffs are not included in this exclusion process.
A spreadsheet detailing current tariffs on U.S. agricultural products entering China is attached for reference.
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