China reportedly has drafted a list of US imports that is exempted from its 125% tariffs.
It’s unclear how many, or which, products are on the list because authorities have not publicly shared this information. The sources state that the Chinese authorities are privately reaching out to companies and informing them of a list of product classifications that will be exempt from the tariffs.
According to another source, some companies have been encouraged to privately reach out to authorities to determine whether their imported products qualify for the exemption.
China’s commerce and customs ministries have so far not provided any further details or commented on the issue.
Earlier, the Trump Administration imposed two rounds of 10% tariffs on all Chinese imports and a 10% baseline tariff on imports from all countries on 2 April 2025. It also introduced reciprocal tariffs on imports from nations with large US trade deficits, including China. Trump postponed the tariffs for 90 days, except for China, before announcing plans for 145% tariffs on Chinese goods.
In retaliation, China raised tariffs on US imports to 125% this month.
However, in an attempt to reduce the impact of its trade war with Washington, China has granted tariff exemptions on products like pharmaceuticals, microchips, and aircraft engines and components. The authorities also urged companies to identify key goods that are exempted from the tariffs.
Recently, China has also exempted tariffs on US ethane imports, alleviating pressure on Chinese companies that rely on ethane imported from the US for petrochemical production.
