In separate section 201 safeguard proceedings, President Trump has approved the imposition of tariff-rate quotas on imports of large residential washing machines and solar cells and modules, as follows.
Washers | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 |
First 1.2 million units | 20% | 18% | 16% | |
All subsequent imports | 50% | 45% | 40% | |
Covered parts | 50% | 45% | 40% | |
Exempt parts | 50,000 units | 70,000 units | 90,000 units | |
| | | | |
Solar Cells | | | | |
Covered modules/cells | 30% | 25% | 20% | 15% |
Exempt cells | <2.5 gigawatts | <2.5 gigawatts | <2.5 gigawatts | <2.5 gigawatts |
According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. law requires the exclusion of Canada or Mexico from a safeguard action if the president determines that imports from that country do not account for a substantial share of imports and do not contribute importantly to serious injury to domestic producers. The president has determined that Canada met these criteria with respect to the washers case (and is therefore excluded) but Mexico did not. Both Mexico and Canada are included in the solar remedy. Korea is included in both safeguard measures.
In addition, all Generalized System of Preferences beneficiary countries that account for less than three percent of total exports are excluded from both safeguard measures. Using this criterion, the U.S. is including Thailand in both the washers and solar safeguards and the Philippines in the solar safeguard.
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