The first China Section 301 action can terminate on July 6, 2026 unless a domestic-industry beneficiary submits a continuation request by July 5. A second action has a separate June 24-August 22 request window before its August 23 anniversary. Importers should not assume rates drop automatically; if USTR receives valid continuation requests, it proceeds to the next review phase.
USTR’s May 6, 2026 Federal Register notice starts the second statutory four-year review of the China Section 301 actions that began in 2018. The first phase is narrow: representatives of domestic industries that benefit from the actions may ask USTR to continue them.
For importers, the practical question is not “will the tariff line vanish on July 6?” It is “which HTS codes, supplier lanes, purchase orders, and landed-cost quotes depend on China Section 301 duties — and what happens if USTR continues, modifies, or later narrows them?”
The 2026 Section 301 timeline importers need to watch
| Date / window | What USTR says | What importers should do |
|---|---|---|
| May 7-July 5, 2026 | Continuation-request window for the July 6, 2018 action, as modified. | Map your China HTS codes against the Section 301 lists and prepare landed-cost scenarios before July shipment decisions. |
| July 6, 2026 | Four-year anniversary of the July 6, 2018 action. The action can terminate unless a qualifying continuation request is submitted. | Do not change classifications, origin claims, or invoice structure based on rumor. Wait for USTR notice and keep a support file for any operational changes. |
| June 24-August 22, 2026 | Continuation-request window for the August 23, 2018 action, as modified. | Review any China product lanes tied to later Section 301 action lists, including products affected through subsequent modifications. |
| August 23, 2026 | Four-year anniversary of the August 23, 2018 action. | Refresh quotes and landed-cost models for late-summer and fall shipments once USTR publishes continuation or review notices. |
What “expiration” does and does not mean
Section 301’s four-year review statute is not a simple tariff sunset that importers can bank on. USTR’s notice states that the July 6, 2018 action and the August 23, 2018 action, as modified, terminate on their respective anniversary dates unless a representative of a domestic industry benefiting from the action submits a continuation request in the required 60-day window.
If USTR receives a continuation request, USTR says it will announce continuation of the action and proceed to the next review phase. That later phase can include public comments on effectiveness, possible changes, and economic effects. In plain English: a continuation request can keep the action alive while USTR reviews what should happen next.
Do not treat July 6 as a guaranteed duty drop. Treat it as a decision point. If your quote, purchase order, margin, or customer promise assumes Section 301 duties disappear, build a backup landed-cost model before goods ship.
Which China tariffs are implicated?
The second four-year review covers the two original Section 301 actions from July 6, 2018 and August 23, 2018, as modified. USTR’s notice explains that those actions were later modified through supplemental lists, exclusions, and the first statutory review. That means importers should not analyze only the original 2018 lists in isolation.
Practically, a Section 301 review should start at the HTS line. Pull your current HTS codes, supplier countries, entry dates, and Section 301 Chapter 99 flags. Then compare them to USTR’s current Section 301 resources and your broker’s entry files.
What importers should review before July 5
1. HTS codes and Section 301 list exposure
Confirm which products are actually subject to China Section 301 duties, including the applicable Chapter 99 tariff lines. Do not rely on a product description alone. The duty treatment follows classification, origin, and any applicable exclusions.
2. Open purchase orders and shipment timing
If a shipment is quoting or arriving near July 6 or August 23, model the rate under continuation, termination, and later modification scenarios. The customs entry date, liquidation status, and final USTR action can all matter to duty planning.
3. Customer pricing and margin exposure
Section 301 changes can swing margin quickly. If you are quoting retailers, distributors, or marketplace customers, avoid promising a post-July landed cost until the government action is clear.
4. Tariff-driven classification or origin changes
If your company changed HTS codes, manufacturing location, country-of-origin claims, or invoice structure because of Section 301 duties, keep the support file. The June 3 customs enforcement order makes tariff-driven changes a higher-risk audit target. See our importer checklist for the Strengthening Customs Enforcement order.
5. Exclusions and refund options
Some China Section 301 exclusions remain separate from the four-year-review question. If your product was covered by an exclusion, extension, refund claim, protest, or liquidation strategy, keep that analysis separate from the broad July/August continuation windows.
How this interacts with tariff stacking
For many importers, Section 301 is only one layer. A product can also carry ordinary MFN duty, Section 232, anti-dumping or countervailing duties, IEEPA-related surcharges or refunds, and special program requirements. A possible Section 301 change does not necessarily solve the entire landed-cost problem.
Use the review window to calculate the stack by HTS code. Our Tariff Stacking Report 2026 shows how quickly multiple duty programs can combine on the same shipment.
Review your China HTS exposure before the July window closes.
Send us your HTS codes or the last three entries for a China lane. We will help identify which Section 301 lists, exclusions, Chapter 99 lines, and tariff-stacking questions are worth reviewing first.
- HTS and Chapter 99 mapping
- Section 301 list exposure by product
- Landed-cost scenario modeling
- Broker-file and entry-data review before CBP scrutiny
Frequently asked importer questions
Will China Section 301 duties automatically end on July 6?
No. The July 6, 2018 action can terminate on its anniversary unless a qualifying continuation request is filed by July 5. If USTR receives one or more continuation requests, the action can continue while USTR moves to the next review phase.
Should I delay a China shipment until after July 6?
Not without modeling the operational risk. Entry timing, customer delivery commitments, demurrage, possible continuation, and later USTR modifications all matter. A delay strategy can cost more than the potential duty change if it is based on the wrong assumption.
Does this apply to all China Section 301 lists?
The notice covers the July 6, 2018 action and the August 23, 2018 action, as modified through later supplemental lists, exclusions, and reviews. Importers should review product-level exposure rather than assuming a single list is the only affected category.
What should I ask my broker for?
Ask for the HTS code, Chapter 99 line, declared country of origin, entry date, liquidation status, applicable exclusions, and whether the entry could be affected by continuation, modification, refund, protest, or liquidation-extension decisions.
The bottom line
The July 2026 question is real, but it is not a simple green light to stop accruing China Section 301 duty. Importers should use the review window to identify exposure, prepare landed-cost scenarios, and confirm that any tariff-driven changes to classification, origin, valuation, or supply chain are supportable.
If your China lane is material to margin, get the HTS data in order before July 5. The importer who knows exactly which products are exposed can react faster than the importer waiting for a broker invoice or a surprise duty bill.
Sources: USTR, “Initiation of Second Four-Year Review Process: China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation,” 91 FR 24636, May 6, 2026; USTR China Section 301 Four-Year Review page. This article is operational guidance for importers and is not legal advice.