To Further Facilitate Positive Adjustment to Competition From Imports of Large Residential Washers

This proclamation modifies the existing safeguard measure on imported large residential washers by converting the annual tariff-rate quota into quarterly allocations during the third year of the measure, effective February 7, 2020. The change aims to prevent import surges that had been undermining the effectiveness of the original 2018 safeguard by spreading quota quantities evenly throughout the year.

Federal Register Open PDF 85 FR 5125

Impact dates

Date TBD
HTS note and tariff provisions deletion from HTS (one year after safeguard termination)
Feb 7, 2020
Quarterly TRQ allocation effective for goods entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse

Key directives

Modify HTS subchapter III of chapter 99 to allocate within-quota quantities for washers on quarterly basis for third quota year
Quarterly allocation of 1.2 million washers begins February 7, 2020
Supersede inconsistent provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders
Delete HTS modifications one year after safeguard measure termination

Timeline

Immediate

Proclamation issued January 23, 2020
Supersession of inconsistent prior proclamations and Executive Orders

Near term (90d)

Quarterly TRQ allocation takes effect February 7, 2020 for third quota year
Goods entered for consumption subject to new quarterly allocation system

Long term

Safeguard measure continues through remainder of third year (until early 2021)
HTS modifications automatically delete one year after safeguard termination

Risks & tensions

Quarterly allocation may create new incentives for importers to rush at quarter boundaries
USITC data showed quota exceeded in under 3 months in year two, suggesting 300K quarterly limit may still face pressure
Vague: exact quarterly distribution (equal 300K splits or other formula) not specified in text