$50 billion in tariffs to be imposed by the U.S. on Chinese imports include numerous photonics products

A press release by the U.S. Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) discusses the new trade tariffs poised to be imposed on China by the U.S. on June 15th, 2018 and approved by President Trump; the tariffs are of "25 percent on approximately $50 billion worth of Chinese imports containing industrially significant technologies, including those related to China's 'Made in China 2025' industrial policy."

The press release also links to two PDFs (List 1.pdf and List 2.pdf) that in combination specify the types of Chinese products affected by the new tariffs. (The term "nesoi" commonly found in the lists stands for "not elsewhere specified or included.")

Optics and photonics to be under tariff

Of high relevance to the Laser Focus World audience are the various optics and photonics products on the lists. The Chinese products on the two U.S. government lists that are of interest to our audience include (not necessarily in order, and not necessarily a complete list):

• Machine tools operated by laser, for working metal
• Machine tools operated by laser, of a kind used solely or principally for manufacture of printed circuits
• Machine tools operated by laser, nesoi
• Machine tools operated by light or photon beam processes, for working metal
• Machine tools operated by light or photon beam processes, of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of printed circuits
• Machine tools operated by light or photon beam processes, nesoi
• Lasers, other than laser diodes
• Optical instruments and appliances (other than compasses) for aeronautical or space navigation
• Optical navigational instruments, nesoi
• Prisms, mounted, for optical uses
• Mirrors, mounted, for optical uses
• Half-tone screens, mounted, designed for use in engraving or photographic processes
• Mounted optical elements, nesoi; parts and accessories of mounted optical elements, nesoi
• Stereoscopic microscopes, provided with a means for photographing the image
• Stereoscopic microscopes, other than those provided with a means for photographing the image
• Microscopes for microphotography, microcinematography or microprojection, provided with a means for photographing the image
• Parts and accessories for compound optical microscopes, including those for microphotography, microcinematography or microprojection
• Microscopes other than optical microscopes; diffraction apparatus
• Parts and accessories for microscopes other than optical microscopes, and for diffraction apparatus
• Telescopes as parts of machines, appliances, etc. of chapter 90 or section XVI
• Optical surveying, hydrographic, oceanographic, hydrological, meteorological or geophysical instruments and appliances, nesoi
• Machines for making glass optical fibers and preforms thereof
• Photosensitive semiconductor devices nesoi, optical coupled isolators
• Optical fiber cables made up of individually sheathed fibers
• Optical instruments and appliances nesoi, used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, and parts and accessories thereof
• Electrical spectrometers, spectrophotometers and spectrographs using optical radiations (ultraviolet, visible, infrared)
• Nonelectrical spectrometers, spectrophotometers and spectrographs using optical radiations (ultraviolet, visible, infrared)
• Exposure meters
• Electrical instruments and apparatus using optical radiations (ultraviolet, visible, infrared), nesoi
• Nonelectrical instruments and apparatus using optical radiations (ultraviolet, visible, infrared), nesoi
• Parts and accessories of nonelectrical optical instruments and apparatus
• Optical measuring/checking instruments/appliances for inspecting semiconductor wafers/devices or photomasks/reticle used to mfg such devices
• Optical coordinate-measuring machines, nesoi
• Optical instrument & appliance: to inspect masks (not photomask) used to mfg semiconductor devices; to measure contamination on such devices
• Other optical measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines, nesoi
• Parts & accessories of measuring & checking optical instruments & appliances
• Light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
• LEDs for backlighting of LCDs
• Connectors for optical fibers, optical fiber bundles or cables
• Optical fibers, optical fiber bundles and cables
• Photosensitive transistors
• Photosensitive semiconductor devices nesoi, optical coupled isolators
• Photosensitive semiconductor devices nesoi, other

Source: https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2018/june/ustr-issues-tariffs-chinese-products