Section 301 China product exclusions: how to check if your HTS still qualifies before the Nov 9, 2026 cliff

You already have (or almost have) a credible 10-digit US HTS for a China-origin SKU, and you suspect a USTR product exclusion may still apply. This guide teaches a repeatable check: HTS → Chapter 99 exclusion heading → U.S. note description match → entry-date window before the November 9, 2026 cliff. It is not a rewrite of list membership ("does my HTS owe 301?"), not a rewrite of the U.S.-China 30-for-30 ex-out list, and not a pasted annex of all 178 exclusion descriptions.

Disclaimer: Educational. Whether a Section 301 product exclusion applies depends on correct classification (including the 10-digit statistical reporting number), country of origin, a match to the product description in the governing U.S. note to Chapter 99, and the entry date relative to the exclusion's effective window (currently before 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on November 9, 2026 for the 178 exclusions extended by USTR notice FR Doc 2025-21671 / 90 FR 55232, unless further extended). Conforming amendments may update enumerated statistical numbers after HTS revisions. Costvanta helps identify HTS candidates and related duty-layer context where documented; it does not evaluate or grant product exclusions (early-access analysis may overstate China tech-transfer 301 when an exclusion applies), does not model Section 232, does not select or file entry types, and is not a customs broker. Confirm with the current USITC HTS, USTR Federal Register materials, and your broker.

CN callout: 排除 = product exclusion (description-specific Ch.99 carve-out); 入境日 = entry date (entered / withdrawn for consumption); 品名匹配 = match to the note's product description, not HTS alone; 悬崖 = Nov 9, 2026 11:59 p.m. EDT cliff unless further extended.

What this page is (and is not)

A Section 301 China product exclusion is a granted, description-specific carve-out from China tech-transfer additional duties via Chapter 99 - not the same as "my 8-digit fell off the list."

Clock: 178 exclusions through 11:59 p.m. EDT November 9, 2026

As of 2026-10-23, USTR notice FR Doc 2025-21671 / 90 FR 55232 (Dec 1, 2025) extends 178 current exclusions through 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on November 9, 2026. Annex entry window: on or after 12:01 a.m. EST November 30, 2025, and before 11:59 p.m. EDT November 9, 2026. USTR may further extend - re-check live USTR / Federal Register before quoting customers or filing. Verified from govinfo HTML on 2026-10-23 Asia/Shanghai.

This page = how to check; not a pasted annex

We teach where to look and in what order. We do not paste the 178 product descriptions, invent "SKU X is excluded," or freeze List additional-duty percentages as everlasting fact.

Already need "does my HTS owe 301?"

Run Section 301 China tariffs HTS check (#2) first. This page assumes you may already be in 301 coverage territory and want to know whether an exclusion still covers your line for your entry date.

Related contrast only: 30-for-30 ex-out list

Matching a U.S.-China 30-for-30 framework product list is a different eligibility test. Contrast only: US-China 30-for-30 product list HTS check.

What you need before you search

Credible 10-digit HTS

Exclusion notes enumerate statistical reporting numbers plus product descriptions - an 8-digit alone is often not enough. Need candidates? Use Costvanta and verify on hts.usitc.gov. Tree-walk: How to find your US HTS code and read the full duty stack (#1). This page does not re-teach finding an HTS.

Country of origin China

China tech-transfer Section 301 is keyed to origin. Confirm China origin as entered. High-level FAQs: CBP Section 301 Trade Remedies FAQs - no invented HK / Macau / Chapter 98 edge cases here.

Accurate physical / commercial description as imported

The note text describes a specific article. Commercial name or supplier SKU label is not enough if the physical article as imported does not fit. Keep a description you can defend to your broker.

Planned entry date relative to the cliff

Track when goods are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, against the annex window ending before 11:59 p.m. EDT November 9, 2026 (as of 2026-10-23; re-check live). CN: 入境日 matters as much as the HTS.

Step 1: Confirm you are in "301 coverage" territory first

If the chapter 1-97 line is not under a China tech-transfer 301 action for your origin and date, an exclusion may be moot. Run #2 (USTR search → China Tariffs map aid → live Chapter 99 on hts.usitc.gov).

Exclusion = carve-out from additional 301 duty, not a substitute for classification

An exclusion can relieve additional 301 duty when coverage, description match, and entry date line up. It does not replace classification or other Chapter 99 layers (e.g. forced-labor 301 - #15).

Mid-article CTA: Confirm 10-digit candidates on https://www.costvanta.com, then run the exclusion check on live USITC HTS notes and FR annexes (or with your broker). Costvanta does not auto-apply exclusions.

Step 2: Open the live Chapter 99 exclusion headings

Open live HTS on hts.usitc.gov. Treat live heading and U.S. note text as legal text; FR annexes are the modification authority for the current window.

9903.88.69 + U.S. notes 20(vvv)(i)-(iv) (Annex A)

Per FR Doc 2025-21671 Annex A, exclusions under heading 9903.88.69 and U.S. notes 20(vvv)(i), 20(vvv)(ii), 20(vvv)(iii), and 20(vvv)(iv) were extended for the window above. Open the heading article description (date language) and the cited note subdivisions.

9903.88.70 + U.S. note 20(www) (Annex B)

Per the same notice Annex B, exclusions under heading 9903.88.70 and U.S. note 20(www) were extended for the same entry window. Open that heading and note the same way.

Open on hts.usitc.gov; do not invent List → note maps

Do not invent which Lists map to which note. Prefer live HTS + FR annex language. Convenience maps are aids - not a substitute for authoritative HTS text (USITC HTS FAQs).

Step 3: Match 10-digit HTS + product description to the note

Scope = both the 10-digit number(s) and the product description

FR Doc 2025-21671: scope is governed by the ten-digit HTSUS statistical reporting numbers and product descriptions in U.S. notes 20(vvv)(i)-(iv) and 20(www). HTS alone is not enough if the description does not fit. CN: 品名匹配 is mandatory.

Matching HTS alone is not enough

If your 10-digit appears but the article as imported does not match the note description, do not claim the exclusion from this guide - talk to your broker.

Method aid: USITC Exclusion User Guide (dated)

The USITC Tariff and Exclusion Number Guide (Sept 2020) teaches endnote → Chapter 99 → U.S. note workflow. It is dated (older heading examples). Use for method only, then verify on the current HTS revision.

Optional path: chapter 1-97 endnote

Some chapter 1-97 lines carry a superscript endnote pointing toward exclusion treatment. Follow it if present - then still read the live note and confirm the entry-date window.

Step 4: Check the entry-date window (the Nov 9 cliff)

Operative window (verified 2026-10-23)

From FR 2025-21671 Annexes A/B: goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. EST November 30, 2025, and before 11:59 p.m. EDT November 9, 2026. Quote the cliff only with that FR cite + as of 2026-10-23; re-check live USTR / FR.

Press "until November 10, 2026" is secondary

USTR press / deal language saying exclusions are extended "until November 10, 2026" is secondary to the annex entry window. For filing and quoting, use before 11:59 p.m. EDT November 9, 2026.

After the cliff

Unless USTR further extends, plan landed cost with applicable China tech-transfer 301 again → #4 and #2. CN: after the 悬崖, do not assume the carve-out still applies. Re-check USTR / FR before entry - this guide does not guarantee survival past Nov 9.

Step 5: HTS splits and conforming amendments

Statistical reporting numbers change. Exclusions that named an old 10-digit need conforming amendments to preserve pre-existing coverage - not a new exclusion grant.

FR Doc 2026-20511 / 91 FR 64211 (Oct 7, 2026)

FR Doc 2026-20511 / 91 FR 64211 (Oct 7, 2026; verified govinfo HTML 2026-10-23) amends note 20(vvv)(i)(20) after July 1, 2026 USITC statistical changes. Pattern: inserts successor 8479.90.9591 effective July 1, 2026 (prior language through June 30, 2026). Old worksheet 10-digits can go stale - open the current note text.

Same pattern: 91 FR 56538 (Sep 2, 2026)

The Oct 7 notice cites 91 FR 56538 (Sep 2, 2026) for four earlier conforming amendments - same pattern only. If your worksheet cites a retired 10-digit, open the current note and latest conforming FR before claiming.

How this differs from published #2 and from 30-for-30

#2 = is my HTS under a China tech-transfer 301 action / which Ch.99 additional-duty heading? → Section 301 China tariffs HTS check.

This page = even if 301 would otherwise apply, does a product exclusion still cover my 10-digit + description for my entry date before the Nov 9 cliff?

30-for-30 Insight = matching a different framework product list / Ex-Out limits - not a 301 product-exclusion check → 30-for-30 product list HTS check.

What Costvanta does and does not do for exclusions

Per Costvanta import methodology (fetched 2026-10-23 Asia/Shanghai):

→ Confirm candidates on https://www.costvanta.com, then complete the exclusion match on live HTS notes + FR yourself or with your broker.

Other layers (not rewritten here): #13 de minimis / low-value entry, #14 Section 232, #15 forced-labor 301.

Worked mini-walkthrough

Hypothetical path only - no claim that any real SKU is excluded. Example check pattern for 2026-10-23, not eternal fact.

Primary: China-origin industrial component, known 10-digit, entry planned week of Nov 3, 2026

1. Prerequisites. Candidate 10-digit on Costvanta / hts.usitc.gov; China origin; physical description as imported; planned entry ~Nov 3, 2026 (#1 if soft).
2. 301 coverage. Run #2. If not under China tech-transfer 301 for that origin/date, exclusion may be moot.
3. Open exclusion headings. Live HTS: 9903.88.69 (notes 20(vvv)(i)-(iv)) and/or 9903.88.70 (note 20(www)) as the heading directs - do not invent the map.
4. Description match. Both 10-digit and note product description must fit. Outcomes: likely eligible (example check) / HTS matches but description does not / need broker.
5. Entry window. Nov 3, 2026 is still before 11:59 p.m. EDT November 9, 2026 under FR 2025-21671 as of 2026-10-23 - re-check before filing.
6. Result language. "Example check on DATE" or "do not claim - broker review" - never "your SKU is excluded" from this article.

Sidebar: same SKU, entry planned Nov 12, 2026

Nov 12 is after the current annex cliff. Unless further extended, plan with 301 additional duty again → #2 and #4.

Callout: HTS statistical split after July 1, 2026

If the worksheet still cites a pre-July 2026 10-digit that USITC split, open the current note and conforming amendment (pattern: FR 2026-20511 inserting successor 8479.90.9591 for note 20(vvv)(i)(20)). Teach the pattern; do not invent coverage for a named product.

Contrast callout: 30-for-30 list match

Same SKU could match a framework list and still need a separate 301 product-exclusion check → 30-for-30 Insight.

What to do next

1. Confirm 10-digit HTS candidates on https://www.costvanta.com; verify on hts.usitc.gov.
2. Confirm 301 coverage via #2, then open live 9903.88.69 / 9903.88.70 and cited U.S. notes.
3. Match 10-digit + product description, then check the entry-date window against FR 2025-21671 (as of 2026-10-23; re-check live).
4. If statistical lines changed in 2026, confirm conforming amendments (FR 2026-20511 pattern) on the current note.
5. Update post-Nov 9 landed-cost scenarios with #4.
6. Involve a licensed customs broker when value, PGA, AD/CVD, or description-match ambiguity is material.

CTA: https://www.costvanta.com - HTS candidates and documented duty-layer context. Decision support only; exclusions not evaluated; not 232 modeling; not entry filing.

FAQ

Does matching the 10-digit alone qualify me for the exclusion?

No. Scope requires the ten-digit statistical reporting number(s) and the product description in the governing U.S. note, plus the entry-date window (FR Doc 2025-21671).

Is November 9, 2026 the same as "until November 10"?

Use the FR annex window: before 11:59 p.m. EDT November 9, 2026 (FR Doc 2025-21671 / 90 FR 55232, as of 2026-10-23). Press "until November 10" is secondary. Re-check live USTR / FR for further extension.

Is this the same as the 30-for-30 ex-out?

No. A 30-for-30 framework list / Ex-Out check ≠ a USTR Section 301 product exclusion under 9903.88.69 / 9903.88.70. Contrast: 30-for-30 product list HTS check.

Does Costvanta apply my exclusion automatically?

No. Per methodology, product exclusions are not evaluated. Early-access China tech-transfer 301 may overstate duty when an exclusion applies. Costvanta does not select 9903.88.69 vs .70, model Section 232, or choose entry type.

What if my HTS number changed in 2026?

Check the current U.S. note and conforming amendments - e.g. FR Doc 2026-20511 / 91 FR 64211 (note 20(vvv)(i)(20); successor 8479.90.9591 effective July 1, 2026) and same-pattern 91 FR 56538. Do not rely on a retired 10-digit on an old worksheet.

After November 9, do I still need to check 301?

Yes - unless USTR further extends. After the cliff: #2 for coverage, #1 for the duty-stack read, #4 for unit economics. Other layers when relevant: #13, #14, #15.

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Disclaimer: Educational. Whether a Section 301 product exclusion applies depends on correct classification (including the 10-digit statistical reporting number), country of origin, a match to the product description in the governing U.S. note to Chapter 99, and the entry date relative to the exclusion's effective window (currently before 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on November 9, 2026 for the 178 exclusions extended by USTR notice FR Doc 2025-21671 / 90 FR 55232, unless further extended). Conforming amendments may update enumerated statistical numbers after HTS revisions. Costvanta helps identify HTS candidates and related duty-layer context where documented; it does not evaluate or grant product exclusions (early-access analysis may overstate China tech-transfer 301 when an exclusion applies), does not model Section 232, does not select or file entry types, and is not a customs broker. Confirm with the current USITC HTS, USTR Federal Register materials, and your broker.