U.S. orders additional tariffs of 10 percent on $200 billion of Chinese imports, including numerous optical products

On June 15, 2018, the U.S. listed $50 billion in trade tariffs to be imposed on China; 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." (A list of optics and photonics affected by the $50 billion tariff can be found at https://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2018/06/50-billion-in-tariffs-to-be-imposed-by-the-u-s-on-chinese-imports-include-numerous-photonics-products.html.)

Subsequently, on Friday, July 6, 2018, The U.S. announced tariffs of 25 percent on approximately $34 billion worth of Chinese imports. [https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2018/july/statement-us-trade-representative] These tariffs will eventually cover up to $50 billion in Chinese imports as legal processes conclude. The products targeted by the tariffs are those that benefit from China’s industrial policy and forced technology transfer practices.

Now, President Trump has ordered additional tariffs of 10 percent to be imposed on an additional $200 billion of Chinese imports. The complete list of Chinese products affected by these latest proposed tariffs can be found here (https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/301/2018-0026%20China%20FRN%207-10-2018_0.pdf).

Numerous optical and photonic products will be affected by the latest (10%) tariff. For convenience, I have composed a short edited list of especially relevant affected products. This list is followed by a more-complete list. (Although I tried to find everything of relevance to optics, I may have missed a few items, as the complete list of affected products is a 205-page PDF.)

Note: the term "nesoi" stands for "not elsewhere specified or included."


SHORT LIST OF OPTICS AND PHOTONICS AFFECTED BY THE 10% TARIFF

--Lenses, unmounted

--Prisms, unmounted

--Mirrors, unmounted

--Articles of glass, not elsewhere specified or included

--Mounted optics of many types

--Cameras

--Microscopes

--Raw and processed glass in many forms

--Numerous types of lamps, including ultraviolet or infrared lamps

--Optical gas and smoke sensing; other optical appliances and instruments

LONG LIST OF OPTICS AND PHOTONICS AFFECTED BY THE 10% TARIFF

GLASS

--Glass lens blanks (other than for spectacles), not optically worked

--Glass optical elements (other than lens blanks), not optically worked

--Glass lenses and filters (other than optical elements) and parts thereof, for signaling purposes, not optically worked

--Signaling glassware, nesoi, not optically worked

--Prepared pigments, opacifiers, colors, and similar preparations, of a kind used in the ceramic, enamelling or glass industry

--Glass frit and other glass, ground or pulverized

--Glass frit and other glass, in the form of granules or flakes

--Glass in the mass of fused quartz or other fused silica

--Glass in the mass (other than of fused quartz or other fused silica)

--Cullet and other waste and scrap of glass

--Glass in balls (o/than microspheres of heading 7018), unworked, n/o 6mm in diameter

--Glass in balls (o/than microspheres of heading 7018), unworked, over 6 mm in diameter Glass rods (o/than of fused quartz or other fused silica), unworked

--Glass tubes of fused quartz or other fused silica, unworked

--Glass tubes (o/than fused quartz/silica), w/linear coefficient of expansion n/o 5x10-6 per Kelvin in range of 0-300 degrees C, unworked

--Glass tubes (o/than fused quartz/silica), nesoi, unworked

--Cast or rolled glass, in nonwired sheets, colored thru the mass, opacified, flashed or w/absorbent,reflect. or non-reflect.layer, not wkd.

--Cast or rolled glass, in nonwired sheets, n/colored thru the mass, opacified, flashed, etc. & not further worked

--Cast or rolled glass, in wired sheets

--Cast or rolled glass profiles

--Drawn or blown glass, in sheets, w/absorbent, reflecting or non-reflecting layer, n/furth. wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, in rect. sheets, colored thru the mass, etc., w/o absorbent, reflecting or non-reflect. layer, n/furth wkd

--Drawn or blown glass, in sheets (o/than rect.), colored thru the mass, opacified, flashed, w/o absorbent, etc. layer, n/furth. wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, nesoi, in rectangular sheets, w/thick. n/o 1.5 mm & n/o 0.26 m2 in area, n/further wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, nesoi, in rectangular sheets, w/thick. n/o 1.5 mm & over 0.26 m2 in area, n/further wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, nesoi, in rectangular sheets, w/thick. over 1.5 but n/o 2 mm & n/o 0.26 m2 in area, n/further wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, nesoi, in rectangular sheets, w/thick. over 1.5 but n/o 2 mm & over 0.26 m2 in area, n/further wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, nesoi, in rectangular sheets, w/thick. over 2 but n/o 3.5 mm, not further wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, nesoi, in rectangular sheets, w/thick. over 3.5 mm & n/o 0.65 m2 in area, not further wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, nesoi, in rectangular sheets, w/thick. over 3.5 mm & over 0.65 m2 in area, not further wkd.

--Drawn or blown glass, nesoi, in sheets (other than rectangular), nesoi

--Surface ground or polished glass, w/absorb. or reflect. layer, n/o 1.2 mm thick & n/o 0.8 M2 in area, suitable for use in LCD's

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, nonwired, in sheets, w/absorb. or reflect. layer, nesoi, not worked

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, nonwired, in sheets, colored thru mass, opacified, flashed, under 10 mm thick, not worked

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, nonwired, in sheets, colored thru mass, opacified, flashed, 10 mm or more thick, not worked

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, in sheets, less than 10 mm thick, w/area n/o 0.65 M2 & for liquid crystal displays

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, nonwired, in sheets, less than 10 mm thick, w/area n/o 0.65 M2 & not for LCD's

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, in sheets, less than 10 mm thick, w/area o/0.65 M2 & for liquid crystal displays

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, nonwired, in sheets, less than 10 mm thick, w/area over 0.65 M2 & not for LCD's

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, nonwired, in sheets, 10 mm or more in thickness

--Float glass & surface ground or polished glass, wired, in sheets

--Glass of heading 7003-7005 in strips n/o 15.2 cm wide & o/2 mm thick, w/longitudinal edges ground or smoothed

--Drawn or blown glass, not containing wire netting & not surface ground or polished, but bent, edged or otherwise worked but not framed

--Glass of heading 7003-7005, bent, edgeworked, engraved, drilled, enameled or otherwise worked, but not framed or fitted, nesoi

--Toughened (tempered) safety glass, of size and shape suitable for incorporation in vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft or vessels

--Toughened (tempered) safety glass, not of size or shape suitable for incorporation in vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft or vessels

--Laminated safety glass, windshields, of size and shape suitable for incorporation in vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft or vessels

--Laminated safety glass (o/than windshields), of size and shape suitable for incorporation in vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft or vessels

--Laminated safety glass, not of size or shape suitable for incorporation in vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft or vessels


OPTICS AND OPTICAL SYSTEMS

--Lenses nesoi, unmounted

--Prisms, unmounted

--Mirrors, unmounted

--Half-tone screens designed for use in engraving or photographic processes, unmounted Optical elements nesoi, unmounted

--Projection lenses, mounted, and parts and accessories therefor, for cameras, projectors or photographic enlargers or reducers

--Mounted objective lenses for use in closed circuit television cameras, seperately imported, w/ or w/o attached elec. connectors or motors

--Objective lenses and parts & access. thereof, for cameras, projectors, or photographic enlargers or reducers, except projection, nesoi

--Objective lenses, mounted, and parts and accessories therefor, other than for cameras, projectors or photographic enlargers or reducers

--Photographic filters, mounted, and parts and accessories therefor
Filters, mounted, and parts and accessories therefor, for optical uses other than photographic

--Mounted lenses, n/obj., for use in closed circuit television cameras, seperately imported, w/ or w/o attached elec. connectors or motors

--Photographic cameras for underwater, aerial, medical, surgical, forensic or criminological purposes, not cinematographic

--Cinematographic cameras

--Cinematographic projectors

--Photographic (other than cinematographic) enlargers and reducers

--Parts and accessories of image projectors, other than cinematographic

--Parts and accessories of photographic (other than cinematographic) enlargers and reducers

--Microscopes for microphotography, microcinematography or microprojection, not provided with a means for photographing the image

--Compound optical microscopes other than stereoscopic or those for microphotography, microcinematography or microprojection

--Telescopic sights for rifles designed for use with infrared light

--Glass mirrors (other/than rearview mirrors), unframed, n/o 929 cm2 in reflecting area

--Glass mirrors (other/than rearview mirrors), unframed, over 929 cm2 in reflecting area

--Glass mirrors (other/than rearview mirrors), framed, n/o 929 cm2 in reflecting area

--Glass mirrors (other/than rearview mirrors), framed, over 929 cm2 in reflecting area

--Glass microscope slides and micro cover glasses

--Hand magnifiers, magnifying glasses, loupes, thread counters and similar apparatus nesoi

--Articles of glass, not elsewhere specified or included


LIGHT SOURCES

--Tungsten halogen electrical filament lamps, designed for a voltage not exceeding 100 V Tungsten halogen electrical filament lamps, designed for a voltage exceeding 100 V

--Fluorescent, hot cathode discharge lamps, other than ultraviolet lamps
Mercury or sodium vapor discharge lamps or metal halide discharge lamps (other than ultraviolet lamps)

--CCFLS for backlighting of flat planel displays

--Other electrical discharge lamps, other than fluorescent (hot cathode), mercury or sodium vapor, metal halide or ultraviolet lamps

--Ultraviolet or infrared lamps


MISCALLANEOUS

--Nonelectrical optical instruments and apparatus for gas or smoke analysis

--Parts and accessories of nonelectrical optical instruments and apparatus of heading 9027, nesoi

--Liquid crystal devices nesoi, and optical appliances and instruments, nesoi

--Parts and accessories of liquid crystal devices nesoi, and optical appliances and instruments, nesoi

--Optical direction finding compasses

--Photocopying apparatus, other than electrostatic, incorporating an optical system

--Magnetic or optical readers, nesoi; machines for transcribing data on data media in coded form and machines for processing such data, nesoi

--Recorded optical media, for reproducing representations of instructions, data, sound, & image, recorded machine readable binary form, for ADP

--Bases and frames for the optical coordinate-measuring machines of subheading 9031.49.40

--END OF LIST--