China offers waivers of extra tariffs on US PE, other chemicals

SINGAPORE (ICIS)–China will be offering waivers of extra tariffs imposed on US polyethylene (PE), along with a host of other chemicals, subject to certain conditions and approval by its Ministry of Finance.

China’s State Council released on Tuesday the list of 696 types of US products, including chemicals, for possible exemption. (Please see list below)

For various types of US high density PE (HDPE) and linear low density PE (LLDPE), on which a 34% tariff rate applies, Chinese importers can apply for a waiver and instead pay the pre-trade war duty of 6.5% on the material.

Applications for approval can be submitted starting 2 March. The value of imports allowed to be exempted may be limited.

The tit-for-tat trade war between the US and China began on 6 July 2018, which saw prohibitive tariffs imposed on billions of US dollars worth of goods between the two economic giants.

A Phase One trade deal was struck between the two countries in mid-January this year, with the first rollback of extra tariffs under the agreement implemented on 14 February.

key energy products
Serial #	HS CODE	Description
109	27090000	crude
110	27101911	Aviation kerosene
111	27101912	Kerosene for lamps
112	27101919	Other kerosene distillate products
113	27101922	5-7 fuel oil
114	27101923	Diesel
115	27101929	Other fuel oil
116	27101993	Lubricant base oil
117	27101994	Liquid paraffin and heavy liquid paraffin
118	27101999	Other heavy oil and heavy oil products
119	27111100	liquefied natural gas
120	27111200	Liquefied propane
121	27111310	Liquefied butane infused cigarette lighter
122	27111390	Other liquefied butane
123	27131110	uncalcined petroleum coke with surfur content less than 3%
124	27131190	other uncalcined petroleum coke
key petrochemicals
128        29012100             Ethylene
129        29012920             Acetylene
130        29012990             Other unsaturated acyclic hydrocarbons
131        29024300             P-xylene
132        29025000             Styrene
133        29026000             Ethylbenzene
134        29053100             1,2-ethylene glycol
135        29053910             2,5-dimethylhexanediol
136        29053990             Other glycols
137        29261000             Acrylonitrile
138        29269090             Other nitrile compounds
139        29309010             Dimercaptoalanine (cystine)
140        29309020             Dithiocarbonate (or salt) [xanthate (or salt)]
141        29309090             Other organic sulfur compounds
142        29333990             Other structures with non-fused pyridine ring compounds (whether or not hydrogenated)
143        29349910             Sultone and sultone
144        29349930             Nucleic acids and their salts
145        29349990             Other heterocyclic compounds
146        29371210             Recombinant human insulin and its salts
147        29371290             Other insulin and its salts
148        29419010             Gentamicin and its salts and derivatives
149        29419058             Cefaclor and its salts
150        29419059             Other cephalosporins and their derivatives and their salts
151        29419060             Medicin and its derivatives, and their salts
152        29419090             Other antibiotics
153        32061110             Titanium dioxide
154        32061190             Pigments and products with titanium dioxide ≥80%
155        33021010             Mixed flavor and products for beverage production, according to alcohol concentration ≤0.5%
156        33021090             Other food or beverage industry mixed spices and products
157        33049900             Skincare and other beauty products
158        33079000             Hair removal agents and fragrance products not listed
159        34029000             Other surfactant products
174        39012000             Polyethylene with a specific gravity of ≥ 0.94
175        39013000             Primary shape ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer
176        39014010             Ethylene-propylene copolymer (ethylene-propylene rubber)
177        39014020             Linear low density polyethylene
178        39021000             Polypropylene in primary shape
179        39029000             Other primary olefin polymers
180        39039000             Other styrene polymers in primary forms
181        39046900             Other fluoropolymers in primary forms
182        39129000             Other unlisted cellulose (including chemical derivatives) in primary
183        39151000             Waste and scrap of ethylene polymers
184        39159010             Polyethylene terephthalate plastic waste and scrap
185        39159090             Waste and scrap of other plastics
186        39174000             Plastic pipe accessories

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