新闻来源：www.abcnews.go.com
原文地址：Biden wants to close a loophole that enables imports of clothing and illicit substances from China
新闻日期：2024-09-13
白宫宣布计划取消「低值免关税」政策
美国总统拜登政府于本周五发布一项新规定，将对所有由中国进口的商品征税，即使它们被宣称价值不足800美元。根据这项规定，凡是符合1974年《贸易法》第201章或301章或1962年《贸易扩展法》第232章涵盖范围的进口商品，不再享有「低值免关税」的豁免。
美国政府计划取消对中国主要批发商的「低值免关税」政策，以减少中国商品的流入量。白宫发言表示，这项行动正值中美两个最大经济体之间关系紧张之际。
为何要取消「低值免关税」政策？美国政府认为，这种豁免使得难以阻止某些非法药物和合成药品的进口。此外，这些中国电子商务平台也利用这一豁免，向美国消费者销售便宜的衣服和纺织品，并可能对国内工人和企业造成影响。
这项变化可能会对中国公司Temu和Shein等带来冲击，因为它们通过保持低价竞争。美国政府表示，《贸易扩展法》第301章的关税当前覆盖了约40%的美国进口商品，其中包括约70%来自中国的纺织品和服装进口。
新的规定还将制定新的「低值免关税」标准，包括10位数的关税分类号以及申报人的详细信息。
原文摘要：
The Biden administration is cracking down on cheap products sold out of China by companies such as Temu and Shein by saying that companies are no longer exempt from tariffs simply by shipping goods that they claim to be worth less than $800.
President Joe Biden would no longer exclude these “de minimis” imports from tariffs under a proposed rule released Friday to tax all imports if they’re covered under Sections 201 or 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, or Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
Importers mainly from China have used the de minimis exemption for shipments of $800 or less to flood the U.S. market. The number of these shipments has jumped from 140 million annually to over 1 billion a year, according to a White House statement.
The action comes at a delicate moment for the world’s two largest economies. The United States has tried to lessen its reliance on Chinese products, protect emerging industries such as electric vehicles from Chinese competition and restrict China’s access to advanced computer chips. For its part, China has seen manufacturing and exports as essential for driving economic growth as it has struggled with deflation following pandemic-related lockdowns.
Because of the existing exemption, it is harder for the U.S. government to block the importation of fentanyl and synthetic drug content that are banned. The government also stressed that Chinese e-commerce sites have abused the exemption to sell cheap clothing and textiles to U.S. consumers, possibly harming domestic workers and companies.
The loss of the exemption could be a blow to Chinese companies such as Temu and Shein that compete by keeping their prices low and might now have to face additional scrutiny. The government said its Section 301 tariffs currently cover about 40% of U.S. imports, including 70% of textile and apparel imports from China.
The proposed regulatory changes would also include new standards for de minimis shipments, such as a 10-digit tariffs classification number and details on the person claiming the exemption.
