Forced-labor Section 301 — El Salvador — 10% additional duty

A Section 301 measure is a U.S. trade action that can impose an additional duty on covered imported merchandise in response to specified foreign trade practices. In this case, the measure title refers to forced-labor concerns connected with El Salvador. The additional duty is separate from the product’s normal customs duty and other possible charges.

The measure typically affects goods that meet the stated product, country-of-origin, and classification conditions—not necessarily every product shipped from the named country. An importer must identify the correct HTSUS classification, determine the product’s country of origin, and check the measure’s official scope and any exclusions. If covered, the additional duty generally must be declared using the applicable customs reporting instructions, even when the ordinary duty rate is zero. Forced-labor compliance may also involve separate import restrictions, supply-chain records, and admissibility reviews.

What to check

• Confirm the product’s HTSUS classification using its material, function, construction, and other classification facts; do not rely only on a supplier’s code.
• Verify the applicable country of origin under U.S. origin rules, distinguishing origin from the shipping country, transit route, or seller location.
• Read the official measure scope and product lists to determine whether the merchandise is covered, excluded, or subject to special reporting instructions.
• Check the current entry-filing guidance for the additional-duty reporting provision and coordinate the declaration with your customs broker.
• Keep invoices, production records, bills of materials, supplier certifications, and supply-chain evidence supporting origin and forced-labor due diligence; seek professional advice when the facts or scope are uncertain.