Based on this executive order, President Trump has clarified that imports of semiconductors from certain countries are exempted from additional ad valorem duties imposed under Executive Order 14257 and the subsequent orders. However, the exemption only applies to products classified in certain headings and subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). The HTSUS is a comprehensive classification system that assigns tariffs to imports based on their nature, value, weight, and other characteristics. To ensure compliance with the executive order, President Trump has directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to modify the HTSUS by inserting certain headings and subheadings into subdivision (v)(iii) of U.S. note 2 to subchapter III of chapter 99, effective as of April 5, 2025. Any duties collected at or after this date on imports that are excepted under Executive Order 14257 and the subsequent orders because they are “semiconductors” will be refunded in accordance with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s standard procedures for such refunds.
Read the full text of the order at the whitehouse.gov website.