The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative imposed Section 301 duties of 10% on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, including fasteners (see list below).

The duty, imposed by President Donald Trump, is the third round of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump has said the tariffs are in response to China’s unfair trade practices.

The additional tariffs take effect September 24, 2018, and initially will be in the amount of 10%. Starting January 1, 2019, the level of the additional tariffs will increase to 25%. 

The list contains 5,745 full or partial lines of the original 6,031 tariff lines that were on a proposed list of Chinese imports announced on July 10, 2018.

China announced it would hit about $60 billion worth of U.S. exports with new tariffs in response.

The U.S. trade deficit hit $291 billion in the first half of 2018 despite President Trump’s efforts to reduce it, and is on track to be the highest in a decade.

American businesses claim the tariffs are going to hurt the United States more than the administration realized, leading to reduced profits and job cuts.

“These tariffs are going to be paid for by the working families who drive our economy,” said Jonathan Gold, a spokesman for a business group formed to fight tariffs called Tariffs Hurt the Heartland. “Tariffs are taxes, plain and simple. By choosing to unilaterally raise taxes on Americans, the cost of running a farm, factory or business will grow. In many cases, these costs will be passed on to American families.”

Fasteners are listed among the 5,745 tariff codes taxed under the latest round of 301 tariffs. The tariff appears to apply to nearly all fasteners imported from China.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) list includes:
7318.11.00 – Iron or steel, coach screws
7318.12.00 – Iron or steel, wood screws (o/than coach screws)
7318.13.00 – Iron or steel, screw hooks and screw rings
7318.14.10 – Iron or steel, self-tapping screws, w/shanks or threads less than 6 mm in diameter
7318.14.50 – Iron or steel, self-tapping screws, w/shanks or threads 6 mm or more in diameter
7318.15.20 – Iron or steel, bolts and bolts & their nuts or washers, imported in the same shipment
7318.15.40 – Iron or steel, machine screws (o/than cap screws), 9.5 mm or more in length and 3.2 mm in diameter
7318.15.50 – Iron or steel, threaded studs
7318.15.60 – Iron or steel, screws and bolts, nesoi, having shanks or threads less than 6 mm in diameter
7318.15.80 – Iron or steel, screws and bolts, nesoi, having shanks or threads 6 mm or more in diameter
7318.19.00 – Iron or steel, threaded articles similar to screws, bolts, nuts, coach screws & screw hooks, nesoi
7318.21.00 – Iron or steel, spring washers and other lock washers
7318.22.00 – Iron or steel, washers (o/than spring washers and other lock washers)
7318.23.00 – Iron or steel, rivets
7318.24.00 – Iron or steel, cotters and cotter pins
7318.29.00 – Iron or steel, nonthreaded articles similar to rivets, cotters, cotter pins, washers and spring washers