Section 301 Exclusions End Nov 9: What China Buyers Check

The short answer: USTR's 178 Section 301 exclusions for Chinese products run through the end of November 9, 2026. We found no notice extending them. If you import an excluded product, ask your broker which of your entries will be made after that date.

Verified as of October 30, 2026 against USTR's Federal Register notice of December 1, 2025 (90 FR 55232). We searched for a later extension notice and did not find one.

This article covers what the notice says, how the end date works, what is still unknown and what to ask your Chinese supplier and your forwarder. It is based on the notice and on general good practice, not on any first-hand experience of these exclusions. Your customs broker or trade attorney decides how it applies to your entries.

Why Does It Matter to a U.S. Buyer?

• The end date is close. The notice extends the exclusions through 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on November 9, 2026 (Federal Register).
• Many products are in play. The notice extends 178 exclusions: 164 extended in 2024 and 14 for solar manufacturing equipment (Federal Register).
• The date is the date of entry. The extension covers goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption, before that deadline, not goods that merely left China before it (Federal Register).

What Did USTR Decide?

A Section 301 exclusion is a product-specific exemption from the additional duties on Chinese goods. The notice says the extended exclusions are available for any product that meets the description in the exclusion, and that each exclusion's scope is governed by the ten-digit tariff numbers and descriptions in the HTSUS notes it cites, 20(vvv) and 20(www) to subchapter III of chapter 99 (Federal Register).

USTR tied the extension to the trade and economic deal announced by the White House on November 1, 2025. It also took into account public comments: 147 of the exclusions received comments supporting extension, and ten of those also received comments opposing it (Federal Register).

Which Date Applies: November 9 or 10?

The notice's reasoning says USTR determined to extend the exclusions "until November 10, 2026". The operative parts, the DATES section and both annexes, say through 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on November 9, 2026, and the tariff headings 9903.88.69 and 9903.88.70 are amended to read November 9, 2026. Other writers quote either date. Use the operative one: goods entered before 11:59 p.m. on November 9 (Federal Register).

What Is Still Unknown?

Whether USTR will extend the exclusions again. The notice says USTR "may continue to consider further extensions and/or additional modifications as appropriate", and that CBP will issue instructions on entry guidance and implementation. We did not find a later notice or a request for comments on a further extension, and we did not find the CBP guidance. The last three extensions were published after the previous deadline had passed (June 5, September 2 and December 1, 2025), so do not plan around one.

What Should a Buyer Ask the Supplier and the Forwarder For?

This section is general advice, not a rule from the notice.

• The exact product description and the ten-digit tariff number the supplier uses, so your broker can compare it with the exclusion description (see the documents to request from a Chinese manufacturer).
• The expected arrival and entry date of each shipment, because the notice counts the date of entry, not the sailing date (see China-US freight and booking in October 2026).
• Who is the importer of record and who pays the extra duty if the exclusion ends before entry; with delivered terms, ask what the price includes (see FOB, EXW, CIF or DDP price terms).
• How long the quote is valid, written on the proforma invoice, and who bears a change in duties (see what to check on a proforma invoice).

Where Does a Third-Party Check Help?

It cannot decide whether your product matches an exclusion or what tariff number applies. It can confirm what is on the supplier's side of the paperwork: that the company is a real manufacturer, where production happens and that the goods match the description your broker will use. See our factory supervision service for orders in production, and our auto parts sourcing page if you buy parts. For other U.S. changes, see how importers claim IEEPA tariff refunds and the duties on Chinese van trailers.

What Do the Sources Not Tell You?

They do not tell you whether your product is excluded, what duty you would pay after the exclusion ends or whether USTR will extend it. They say nothing about any supplier.

What Should You Do Next?

1. Ask your customs broker whether any of your products match one of the 178 exclusions.
2. List the entries you expect before and after November 9, 2026.
3. Get the product description and tariff number from each supplier in writing.
4. Write the price validity and duty responsibility into the proforma invoice.
5. Check any new supplier before you pay, see the supplier verification checklist.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the Section 301 exclusions on Chinese goods end?

According to USTR's Federal Register notice of December 1, 2025, the 178 extended exclusions apply to goods entered before 11:59 p.m. eastern daylight time on November 9, 2026. We found no notice extending them.

Does the date mean the ship date or the entry date?

The entry date. The notice covers goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from a warehouse for consumption, before the deadline. Ask your broker and forwarder for the expected entry date of each shipment.

How many exclusions are there?

178: 164 general exclusions and 14 for certain solar manufacturing equipment, per the background section of the notice.

Can any importer use an exclusion?

The notice says the extensions are available for any product that meets the description in the exclusion. The scope is set by the ten-digit tariff numbers and descriptions in the HTSUS notes it cites.

Will USTR extend the exclusions again?

Unknown. The notice says USTR may continue to consider further extensions. We did not find a later notice, so confirm with your broker before you plan entries around one.

Summary and Next Step

USTR extended 178 Section 301 exclusions through the end of November 9, 2026, counted by the date of entry. We found no further extension. The first step is to ask your broker which of your products are excluded and which entries fall after that date.

In short, check your products against the exclusions before the next entry. Tell us about your order if you want help preparing the questions for your supplier and forwarder.

I provide supplier verification services, so you should treat my recommendation accordingly. SourciaVera is not a customs broker or a law firm, and nothing here is customs or legal advice.