Original Section 301 Tariffs Upheld

The Section 301 tariffs implemented during President Trump’s first administration were effectively upheld on June 15, 2026, when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge seeking their repeal. The case, HMTX Industries LLC et al. v. United States et al., argued that the Section 301 duties imposed on imports from China in 2018 were unlawful. Those duties resulted in the publication of the tariff schedules commonly referred to as Tranche 3 and Tranche 4A, covering dozens of import categories.

The Supreme Court’s decision may establish an important precedent as the current administration considers a new round of Section 301 tariffs targeting approximately 60 countries that have been identified as insufficiently preventing the importation of goods produced with forced labor. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the proposed measures during a public hearing in July. Under the proposal, tariffs of either 10% or 12.5% would be applied, depending on the country of origin.

Stakeholders may submit comments on the proposed actions through July 6, 2026. The USTR will conduct public hearings on July 7, 2026, while requests to appear and summaries of testimony must be submitted by June 22, 2026.

John Boomhover
Director of Compliance & Customs Services
CV International, Inc.