STS cranes ordered before May 14, 2024, and arriving by May 14, 2026, will be exempt from a new 25% tariff on Chinese cranes, according to the US Trade Representative’s latest announcement.

USTR said the final modifications concerning the statutory review of the tariff actions took into account the fact that buying STS cranes can take over two years. Ports have voiced concerns the new tariffs would raise costs for orders placed before the change and might not effectively counter China’s actions. They also warned that the tariffs could hurt US ports and the economy. As a result, many suggested delaying the tariffs until 2026 to allow cranes ordered before the change to avoid the extra costs.

“The exclusion balances the possible impact on the U.S. economy with the security interests of the United States from the threat of Chinese state-sponsored cyber intrusions of critical infrastructure,” USTR pointed out.

The exemptions apply to STS orders that either fully or partially fulfil a contract for sale executed before May 14, 2024, and are entered for consumption or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption in the US before May 14, 2026.

To qualify for the exemption, the importer must submit a completed certification as part of their electronic entry summary to US Customs and Border Protection, uploading it to the Document Imaging System in the Automated Commercial Environment when declaring the classification under heading 9903.91.09 of the HTSUS.

The tariffs were announced in May 2024, and were set to enter into force in August 2024, however, the decision was delayed multiple times to allow more time for revision. The decision faced severe opposition from US ports, which have dozens of cranes already ordered from ZPMC. These include Port Houston, which took delivery of three STS cranes last week, as well as APM Terminals Elizabeth in the Port of New York New Jersey, which is set to take delivery of four STS cranes in early November.

STS cranes ordered before May 14, 2024, and arriving by May 14, 2026, will be exempt from a new 25% tariff on Chinese cranes, according to the US Trade Representative’s latest announcement.

USTR said the final modifications concerning the statutory review of the tariff actions took into account the fact that buying STS cranes can take over two years. Ports have voiced concerns the new tariffs would raise costs for orders placed before the change and might not effectively counter China’s actions. They also warned that the tariffs could hurt US ports and the economy. As a result, many suggested delaying the tariffs until 2026 to allow cranes ordered before the change to avoid the extra costs.

“The exclusion balances the possible impact on the U.S. economy with the security interests of the United States from the threat of Chinese state-sponsored cyber intrusions of critical infrastructure,” USTR pointed out.

The exemptions apply to STS orders that either fully or partially fulfil a contract for sale executed before May 14, 2024, and are entered for consumption or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption in the US before May 14, 2026.

To qualify for the exemption, the importer must submit a completed certification as part of their electronic entry summary to US Customs and Border Protection, uploading it to the Document Imaging System in the Automated Commercial Environment when declaring the classification under heading 9903.91.09 of the HTSUS.

The tariffs were announced in May 2024, and were set to enter into force in August 2024, however, the decision was delayed multiple times to allow more time for revision. The decision faced severe opposition from US ports, which have dozens of cranes already ordered from ZPMC. These include Port Houston, which took delivery of three STS cranes last week, as well as APM Terminals Elizabeth in the Port of New York New Jersey, which is set to take delivery of four STS cranes in early November.