USTR initiated a Section 301 investigation into Vietnam’s acts, policies, and practices related to currency valuation on October 2, 2020.

A Section 301 investigation is a U.S. trade-law process used to examine whether a foreign government’s acts, policies, or practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and harm U.S. commerce. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) conducts the investigation. An investigation does not automatically mean that an additional duty or other trade remedy applies; any later action must be identified separately in official materials.

For an importer, the key issue is whether a resulting Section 301 action applies to the product’s tariff classification, country of origin, and entry circumstances. The measure may affect goods imported from the named country, but coverage is determined by the official product scope—often expressed through Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings and any listed exclusions or other conditions. Importers should distinguish the measure type (Section 301) from the underlying investigation and verify the current entry requirements with official sources or a customs professional.

What to check

• Confirm the product’s correct HTS classification, including any applicable statistical suffix, rather than relying only on a product description.
• Verify the product’s country of origin under U.S. origin rules; the shipping country alone may not determine coverage.
• Read the official Section 301 product scope, notes, exclusions, and effective-entry conditions for the relevant measure.
• Check the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) instructions and current HTSUS for the reporting and payment treatment at entry.
• Keep product specifications, sourcing records, and classification support; seek a customs broker or binding ruling when coverage is uncertain.