USTR has denied over 40 seafood tariff exclusion requests, 17 in March so far

The United States Trade Representative denied at least 17 different tariff exclusion requests from nine different seafood-related companies so far this month, documentation on the USTR website indicates.

U.S. companies can apply to the USTR to request tariff exclusions based on product availability and impact to the company applying for the exclusion. Companies must provide an assessment of whether the product can be procured from another country, the impact tariffs have on the company, and whether the product is a part of Chinese industrial programs like “Made in China 2025.”

The products denied exclusion in the latest round of letters include tilapia fillets, smoked oysters, golden pompano, and squid products, which were all denied on 5 March, according to USTR documentation. The reasons for denial – which came in letters from General Counsel Joseph Barloon – are typically related to either insufficient proof that a product can be sourced only from China, or insufficient proof that the tariffs will cause “cause severe economic harm” to the company or “other U.S. interests.”

Some of the companies and products that had their exclusion requests denied on 5 March were:

• Azuma Foods International: Flying fish roe, HTSUS code 0305204065
• Elite Foods Inc.: Frozen boiled eel, HTSUS code 1604171000
• Gold Plum International: Canned long-tail anchovy, HTSUS code 1604162000
• Hilo Fish Company: Frozen tilapia fillets, HTSUS code 0304610000; frozen boiled-squid slices or pieces, HTSUS code 0307490150; frozen boiled-octopus slices or pieces, HTSUS code 0307590100.
• J&J Seafood International: Catfish fillet, HTSUS code 0304620010; tilapia fillet, HTSUS code 0304610000; golden pompano fish, HTSUS code 0303890080; crawfish, HTSUS code 0306190010; crawfish tail meat, HTSUS code 1605401010
• Maritime Products International: Frozen catfish, HTSUS code 0304620010
• UA Seafood Group: Frozen golden pompano, HTSUS code 0303890080
• Wismettac Asian Foods Inc: Prepared vacuum-packed eel, HTSUS code 1604171000
• World Finer Foods Inc.: Smoked oysters, HTSUS code 1605514000; smoked baby clams, HTSUS code 1605562000; tiny shrimp (wild caught) HTSUS code 1605291040

The latest round of product denials is in addition to some of those that were denied earlier in the past few months including:

• Crown Prince Inc.: Crown prince smoked oysters, denied 23 September, HTSUS code 1605514000.
• Grotta Bay Seafood LLC: Raw cleaned frozen loligo squid, denied 23 September, HTSUS code 0307430029.
• Ambrosia Enterprises Inc.: scallops, denied 23 September, HTSUS code 0307220000.
• Seaco Food LLC: Bluegill fillets, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 0304895030.
• Golden Flavor Trading: Frozen catfish fillets: denied 23 October HTSUS code 0304620010; frozen bay scallops abductor muscle, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 0307220000; frozen crawfish tail meat, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 1605401090; whole cooked crawfish denied: 23 October HTSUS code 1605401090.
• Sealand Foods: frozen chum salmon fillet, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 0304410090; Frozen Pollock Fillets: Denied 23 October 0304440025; frozen squid tubes, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 0307430060; frozen mince stick, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 1604206010; frozen boiled clams, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 1605566000; frozen cooked whole crawfish, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 1605401090.
• Supreme Crab & Seafood Inc.: Pasteurized crab meat, 1 pound cans: denied 23 October, HTSUS code 1605102059; pasteurized, frozen crab meat: denied 11 December, HTSUS code 1605104035.
• Endeavor Seafoods: Frozen haddock fillets, initially denied on 23 October then approved on 11 December, HTSUS code 0304725000; bluegill fillets denied 23 October, HTSUS code 0304895030.
• Golden Light International: Fish snack, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 1604195100.
• CFE International Canadian Fish Exporters Inc: Salt, cured dried Pacific pollock fillets, denied 23 October, HTSUS code 0305320090.
• Bumble Bee Foods: Light meat tuna loins, denied 6 November, HTSUS code 1604144000; albacore tuna loins, denied 6 November, HTSUS code 1604144000.
• Rhee Bros: Frozen golden pompano: denied 6 November, HTSUS code 0303890080.
• CenSea Inc.: Raw frozen slipper lobster meat, denied 11 December, despite approval elsewhere (Sea Port Products Corporation has approval), HTSUS code 0306190061.
• Anhui Fuhuang Sungem Foodstuff Group: Frozen channel catfish fillet, denied 14 February, HTSUS code 0304620010.
• Seafood Doctor Inc.: Bay scallops, shellfish, frozen, denied 14 February, HTSUS code 0307220000.
• SSC Inc. DBA Sunnyvale Seafood: Frozen raw peeled and deveined shrimp, denied 14 February, HTSUS code 0306170040; frozen breaded shrimp, denied 4 February, HTSUS code 1605211020; frozen cooked shrimp, denied 4 February, HTSUS code 1605211030.

In addition to the denial, several requests for a tariff exclusion are still in progress at multiple companies. Some of the exclusion requests that are in progress share the same HTSUS codes as those that have already been denied, such as The Fishin’ Company’s request for exclusion for frozen tilapia fillets and whole frozen tilapia, which was recently denied to J&J International and Hilo Fish Company. Current exclusions in progress include:

• Dagiim Tahorim Co.: Ocean perch fillet fish, HTSUS code 0304891030; tilapia fillet fish, HTSUS code 0304610000;halibut fish, HTSUS code 0303310020; sole fish, HTSUS code 0303330000; ocean perch bag fish, HTSUS code 0303890064;tilapia fish, HTSUS code 0303230000; flounder, HTSUS code 0303390110.
• Newport International of Tierra Verde Inc: Fresh & Frozen Pasteurized Crabmeat, HTSUS code 1605102059.
• Sea Port Products Corporation: Raw whole golden pompano, HTSUS code 0303890080; raw frozen bay scallop meat, HTSUS code 0307220000; raw frozen cleaned squid, HTSUS code 0307430029; Sea Port Products cooked frozen eel, HTSUS code 1604171000; cooked lump crab meat, frozen, HTSUS code 1605102059.
• The Fishin’ Company: Frozen tilapia fillets, HTSUS code, 0304610000; frozen tilapia whole, HTSUS code 0303230000.
• Transnational Foods LLC: Mackerel in brine, HTSUS code 1604150000; mackerel in fish oil, HTSUS code 1604150000; mackerel in tomato sauce, HTSUS code 1604150000; smoked oysters, HTSUS code 1605514000.