China semiconductor Section 301 tariff set at 0%, rising on June 23, 2027
USTR found China's targeting of the semiconductor industry actionable under Section 301 and imposed a tariff on Chinese semiconductors effective December 23, 2025, set at 0% for 18 months. On June 23, 2027 it rises to a rate USTR will announce at least 30 days before that date.
What this affects
China| 8541 | Diodes, transistors and similar semiconductor devices listed in the annex |
| 8542 | Electronic integrated circuits listed in the annex |
Codes are a starting point, not a classification. Confirm your own 10-digit HTS before you rely on a rate, using our HTS classification guide.
Key dates
- December 23, 2025Action takes effect at 0%Passed
- May 24, 2027Latest date for USTR to announce the new rate (30 days before the increase)Next
- June 23, 2027Tariff on covered Chinese semiconductors rises from 0%
The update
The notice published December 29, 2025 closes USTR's investigation into China's semiconductor policies. It takes tariff action now with an initial level of 0%, increasing on June 23, 2027 to a rate to be announced not fewer than 30 days before then. The annex lists the covered products, including diodes, transistors and other semiconductor devices under HTS heading 8541 and integrated circuits under heading 8542.
This action is separate from the China Section 301 list rates already charged on many of the same products and from the 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor duty on all Chinese goods.
The rate in June 2027 is open. Importers of chips, and of products whose cost depends on Chinese chips, have until then to qualify other sources.
Impact
Nothing is owed under this action today, but it is a dated cost increase on a component that sits inside most electronics. The size of the step is unknown until USTR announces it, at the latest about May 24, 2027.
What to watch
The 0% rate can make this action easy to overlook in landed cost models. Check whether finished goods are covered or only the devices themselves, using the annex lines.
How to prepare
- 1Flag Chinese-origin chips in your bill of materials
- 2Qualify a second source before mid-2027
Lead times on chip qualification often run longer than the time left.
- 3Watch for USTR's rate notice in spring 2027
It must come at least 30 days before June 23, 2027.
Sources
- Notice of Action: China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Targeting of the Semiconductor Industry for Dominance · Federal Register · December 29, 2025
We summarize published reporting and official notices. Always confirm rates and dates against the Federal Register or your customs broker before acting on them.