Late last night, the White House issued an executive order allowing importers that have experienced significant financial hardship due to COVID-19 the option to defer duty payments for up to 90 days. While the deferral does not impact anti-dumping or countervailing duties, it will serve to ease the financial burden imposed by the typical duties that importers pay. This means that section 201, 232, and 301 tariffs—primarily taxes on Chinese goods and steel and aluminum—will still be due according to normal procedure. You can read the U.S. Customs & Border Protection update here.
If you believe you qualify for a deferral, contact your customs broker as soon as possible, as affected entries must be removed from April monthly statements by midnight EST tonight, April 20th.
