Forced-labor Section 301 — Bahrain — 12.5% additional duty

A Section 301 measure is a U.S. trade action responding to specified foreign trade practices under Section 301 of the Trade Act. In this example, the measure is associated with Bahrain and is described as addressing forced-labor concerns. It applies an additional duty—also called a Section 301 additional tariff—on covered imports, separate from the ordinary HTSUS duty rate.

The measure typically affects goods that meet both the stated country-of-origin requirement and the listed Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) classifications. Country of origin is generally where the goods were substantially transformed, not necessarily where they were purchased or shipped from. The additional duty can increase landed cost and may require a special HTSUS Chapter 99 reporting provision on the entry, so the importer should verify the current official measure details and consult a customs broker when classification or origin is uncertain.

What to check

• Confirm the product’s HTSUS classification, including any applicable Chapter 99 reporting provision, using current official tariff data.
• Determine the product’s customs country of origin under U.S. substantial-transformation rules; do not rely only on the ship-from country.
• Check the measure’s official product scope, exclusions, quota treatment, and any special instructions for the specific HTSUS subheading.
• Verify whether other duties or trade remedies may apply at the same time and whether the rules allow them to be combined, or “stacked.”
• Review the effective-entry requirements and retain classification, origin, sourcing, and manufacturing records; obtain customs-broker or trade-counsel advice for difficult cases.