China delays 24% tariff on US goods, keeping 10% duty in place

China's Ministry of Finance said Nov. 9, 2026, it will extend the suspension of a 24% additional tariff on United States imports for two months, while keeping a 10% duty in place.

The adjustment takes effect Nov. 10 at 1:01 p.m. Beijing time and remains in force through Jan. 10, 2027. The measure modifies retaliatory tariff schedules established under State Council Tariff Commission Announcement No. 4 of 2025.

The decision leaves the effective retaliatory surcharge on affected American imports at 10%. Without the extension, customs offices would have reinstated the full 34% tariff rate when a previous 12-month waiver expired on Nov. 10.

The State Council approved the adjustment pursuant to the Tariff Law of the People's Republic of China, the Customs Law and the Foreign Trade Law. The tariff commission officially published the decision as Public Announcement No. 6 of 2026.

The ministry said the extension implements the consensus reached during the Washington summit between Chinese and US leaders in September 2026. Both governments have maintained working-level consultations to prevent sudden tariff escalations across bilateral trade flows.

The temporary relief traces back to bilateral negotiations conducted in Geneva in May 2025. Negotiators agreed at that session to pause 24 percentage points of the additional duties for 90 days to create space for formal discussions.

A subsequent round of talks in Stockholm in August 2025 extended the 24% suspension for a second 90-day window. Both sides maintained the 10% baseline duty throughout that period while discussing mutual tariff removals.

China then codified a comprehensive one-year tariff pause on Nov. 5, 2025, under Tariff Commission Announcement No. 10 of 2025. That decree instituted a 12-month suspension effective Nov. 10, 2025, preserving the 10% duty across designated US tariff lines.

Monday's announcement arrived roughly 26 hours before that 2025 waiver was scheduled to terminate. The two-month rollover prevents an immediate customs shock for Chinese manufacturing facilities that depend on American industrial feedstocks and components.

In its public statement, the tariff commission addressed developments in United States trade policy. The agency said it noted that Washington has signaled plans to implement Section 301 tariffs to replace duties previously imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

US federal courts previously ruled that the use of emergency powers under that statute lacked legislative authorization for blanket import duties. Washington trade officials have since explored alternative legal mechanisms under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.

China said it will closely track US regulatory steps and calibrate its own tariff countermeasures as the situation develops. The commission indicated that any future adjustment to the 10% duty or the suspended 24% rate will depend on actions taken by Washington.

For supply chain managers, the extension provides two months of operational predictability. Companies importing industrial goods, precision measuring instruments and specialized chemical intermediates from the United States will not face a 24% tariff surcharge at customs checkpoints this week.

The retained 10% tariff continues to apply to commercial shipments entering China outside bonded zones. Importers clearing shipments for direct domestic use must continue lodging customs declarations that reflect the 10% retaliatory rate alongside standard most-favored-nation duties.

The ministry statement provided no indication that bilateral tariffs would be eliminated permanently. By limiting the extension to two months rather than a full year, Beijing retains leverage ahead of anticipated bilateral trade reviews in early 2027.

The notice does not state whether individual Harmonized System tariff lines have been modified from the 2025 schedule. The commission has not published a revised product-level exemption catalog or updated commodity exclusions alongside Announcement No. 6.

Importers must therefore rely on the baseline commodity scope established under Announcement No. 4 of 2025. Enterprises seeking clarification on individual tariff classifications must consult local customs bureaus at the port of entry.

The current suspension window expires Jan. 10, 2027. Customs administrations across China will maintain the 10% retaliatory tariff on eligible US cargo until the State Council issues its next determination.