April 9th, 2025 Revision 8 HTS Tariff Code Guide

[amal]

So $800 is the current “de minimis” value meaning anything coming into the country with a commercial invoice value of less than $800 will be duty / tariff free (too small to worry about). This ends May 2nd.

Logistics companies are getting screwed pretty hard right now because tons of people are refusing packages. We even had some USB readers come from a UK company but their documentation stated the country of origin was China so UPS came with the box but said it was COD (cash on delivery) for an additional $1400 and would not release the box to me. We refused the box because we already paid $3200 for the readers inside… so now we need to figure something else out. Well the shipper paid UPS to take that box all the way to my doorstep, but UPS has to take it all the way back to the UK because I refused it… because of unexpected tariffs.

Basically a logistics company has 3 options when tariffs are due;

• Leave the box with US customs and let you sort out how to pay them. This is a problem though because US Customs warehouses only have so much space and each logistics company has a little bonded area designated for packages “in transit” for that logistics company. Boxes cannot pile up here or big fines.
• Move the box through customs, but take on the liability for the recipient, then deliver the box and send an invoice to the customer afterwards to recoup the fees. This is usually what happens for established customers but sometimes first time randos as well. The box is moved through customs and logistics warehouses but there is a chance they won’t recoup the fee if the recipient doesn’t pay (then its sent to collections but good luck there).
• Move the box through customs, take on liability for the recipient, but hold the box until the recipient pays. This is usually what happens for small / first timers, but there is a good chance the recipient won’t pay in time and the box will clog up the delivery route in the meantime… then the box must be sent back to sender, eating the original delivery fee and then some.

Because of the instability with tariffs, logistics companies are facing huge costs and delivery route hiccups. Basically DHL is saying “go. fuck. yourself.” a la Elon Musk and simply is not accepting shipments of any parcels inbound to the USA that have a value of over $800. This might basically change to all parcels for non-account holders after May 2nd… at least until shit calms down.

One thing is for sure though… any additional fees logistics companies levy on shipments to “handle the increased cost of tariff mitigation” will never go away… we are still paying additional fucking bullshit fees on “covid response” for parcels… so I don’t feel too bad for these greedy corpo fucks.

[ODaily]

We’re on 11 now. As of 5/2/2025, so I’m guessing the change up was ending de minimis.

I gave the dates to chat gpt the other day for amusement, and asked it to predict how many for the year. It came back with 30.

[amal]

Good eye… and yes probably does away with de minimis and implements other changes.

finalCopy.pdf (18.3 MB)

Revision 11 (May 2nd)

[enginerd]

Remy: Banana (Free Trade Camila Cabello Havana Parody)

Hopefully the current situation won’t make me or my bank account bleed internally.

[Hamspiced]

US and China agree to drastically roll back tariffs in major trade...

Expect another revision

[ODaily]

#12 came out yesterday.

So, I asked chatgpt again and got…

[amal]

Gonna update this thread soon but the idea is it does away with the insane tariffs for 90 days and implements a flat rate on Chinese goods… gonna have chat deep research double check it for me though

[amal]

May 13th (Revision 12)

finalCopy (6).pdf (18.2 MB)

25% flat rate for all goods from China with no de minimis anymore.

[ODaily]

#13 is out.
ChatGPT says 48 for the year.
It’s giving me a not good mood.

FWIW, the records are, in descending order…

• 2020 - 28 revisions
• 2019 - 20 revisions
• 2018 - 14 revisions
• 2021, 2022 - 12 revisions
• 2023 - 11 revisions
• 2024 - 10 revisons
• 2015, 2016, 2017 - 2 or less revisions.

[amal]

May 15th (Revision 13)

finalCopy (7).pdf (128.0 MB)

Net effect: A Chinese-origin RFID or smartcard reader valued at $100 would now incur:

1. $25 duty under Section 301
2. $20 IEEPA duty under 9903.01.24
   → Total duties = $45 (45% of the customs value)

My thought is they totally messed up on Rev 12 and forgot to include the IEEPA fee and rushed this revision out to fix that.

[enginerd]

There’s a certain irony with those PDFs being titled “finalCopy”…

[tac0s]

It sucks but at least it sucks a lot less than it did.

[ODaily]

[ODaily]

And we’re on 14 now. Chat gpt estimates 44 for the year. I also had it break out the following. Looks like deminimus changes for China and reducing Mexican tarrifs, plus some other stuff.

The 2025 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Revision 14, released on May 29, 2025, introduces several significant updates compared to the previous Revision 13. These changes are detailed in the official change record provided by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

Key Updates in Revision 14:

1. Tariff Adjustments on Chinese-Origin Goods:

• Implementation of Executive Order 14289, which imposes duties on imports of Chinese-origin goods that previously qualified for the de minimis exemption. Effective May 14, 2025, these goods are subject to duties of either 54% ad valorem or $100 per item. This change affects goods sent through the international postal network.

2. Section 301 Tariff Modifications:

• Following a mandatory four-year review, significant modifications were announced to Section 301 tariffs, primarily involving substantial tariff increases on specific products deemed critical to U.S. strategic interests. These sectors include green technology, semiconductors, medical supplies, and infrastructure.

3. Adjustments to Tariffs on Imports from Mexico:

• Executive Order 14194 imposed an additional 25% ad valorem rate of duty on certain products imported from Mexico. Subsequent amendments, including Executive Orders 14198 and 14227, adjusted these duties, reducing the rate to 10% for specific products like potash that do not qualify for duty-free treatment under the USMCA. Additionally, certain automotive products originating from Mexico were exempted from the additional duties to minimize disruption to the U.S. automotive industry.

For a comprehensive understanding of all changes in Revision 14, please refer to the official change record provided by the U.S. International Trade Commission.

[ODaily]

Almost missed it. #15 is here. Only 2019 and 2020 were higher (the whole year).

[Hamspiced]

what does #15 change?

[amal]

if I had to guess I’d bet it’s the 50% levelling out of China tariffs

[ODaily]

Chat gpt again.

Item Type	Change Description	Effect
Heated Garments	Re‑classified out of Ch. 85	Adjusted duty treatment and reporting
Plastic sets	Re-defined as composite sets	Requires updated classification analysis
Dairy preparations	Excluded from Heading 2105	May use different duty rates, impacting cost
Steel/Aluminum derivatives	New derivatives added under Section 232 duties	25% metal-content tariffs now apply

[ODaily]

#16 is here.

Per chatgpt again.

Here’s a clear, categorized summary of the goods affected by the new China tariff changes outlined in your document (effective March 4, 2025), along with the tariff rates applied:
China Tariff Changes – Summary (Effective March 4, 2025)
1. New 20% Tariff Under IEEPA (Heading 9903.01.24)

Rate: Additional 20% ad valorem tariff

Scope: Applies to virtually all goods of Chinese or Hong Kong origin under HTS Chapters 01 through 97

Exemptions:

    Products under headings 9903.01.21, 9903.01.22, 9903.01.23 (e.g., certain personal electronics or low-value exemptions)

    Goods for personal use in accompanied baggage

Replaces Previous Tariff:

From Feb 5 – Mar 3, 2025, a 10% tariff (under heading 9903.01.20) applied to the same products.

That 10% tariff is no longer in effect.

2. Ongoing Section 301 Tariffs

Based on existing actions under the Trade Act of 1974, various additional tariffs apply to specific Chinese goods.

Tariff rates range from 10% to 25%, depending on product.

Applied via Subchapter III of Chapter 99:

    Key headings: 9903.88.01 to 9903.88.15, 9903.91.01–9903.91.11, etc.

    Effective dates span 2018–2025.

Affected Goods Categories (Examples by HTS Chapter)
Category Chapters Example Goods Tariff Heading Additional Duty
Live Animals & Meat 01–02 Cattle, swine, beef, pork 9903.88.15 25%
Fish & Seafood 03 Frozen fish, shellfish 9903.88.03 25%
Dairy & Eggs 04 Milk, cheese, butter 9903.88.15 25%
Plant Products 06–07 Flowers, vegetables 9903.88.15 or .03 25%
Fruits & Nuts 08 Apples, citrus, almonds 9903.88.15 25%
Prepared Foods 16–21 Processed meats, sauces 9903.88.xx 25%
Chemicals 28–38 Organic & inorganic 9903.88.02/15 25%
Textiles & Apparel 50–63 Fabrics, clothing 9903.88.15 25%
Machinery & Electronics 84–85 Industrial machinery, laptops, telecom gear 9903.88.15 25%
Vehicles & Parts 87 Auto parts, bicycles 9903.88.15 25%
Furniture 94 Wood and upholstered furniture 9903.88.15 25%
Practical Implications

Double Duties: Some items will now be subject to both the new 20% IEEPA tariff and preexisting Section 301 tariffs.

Importers must now:

    Verify if their products are subject to one or both tariffs.

    Declare additional duties using the proper Chapter 99 headings.

    Consider country-of-origin restructuring or exclusion requests.

[ODaily]

And… We made it exactly one month from the last tarriff to this one.

Looks like we’re going after Canada (sorry), and copper.

• The 35% tariff on Canadian imports reflects a response to the fentanyl emergency via IEEPA, implemented after prior 25% rates and now elevated as of August 1, 2025
• New lines (9903.01.16, .78.01/.78.02) establish more precise duties, likely closing gaps or targeting specific trade-sensitive goods.
• Copper products, under U.S. Note 36, are newly subject to a 50% Section 232‑style tariff as of August 1, 2025