HS code is the key to tariff exemptions
The Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) has encouraged member companies to work closely with customers in China to make sure Chinese tanners can secure tariff exemptions on their purchases of US hides.
LHCA has said that the authorities in China are accepting tariff exemption requests on nearly 700 products that importers there bring in from the US, including cattle hides weighing more than 16 kilos. It said the majority of US hide exports fall into this category.
Under these measures, it is Chinese tanners who must apply for the exemption and they must do so each month. If their application is successful, they receive a code that they can then use to make sure a shipment of hides from the US can clear customs with a waiver on the extra tariffs the Chinese government sought to impose on many imports from the US during the trade dispute with the US, which is not yet resolved.
One key detail in applying for an exemption is to include the correct code from the World Customs Organisation’s Harmonised Systems (HS). The HS code for the hides eligible for the exemption is 41015019.
