Section 301 Tariffs Continue: What E-Bike and E-Scooter Importers Must Do Before 10 November 2026
The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) formally continued both China Section 301 tariff actions on 7 October 2026 (91 FR 64212), keeping the 25% additional duty that applies to e-bikes and e-scooters under HTS 8711.60 — and 178 product exclusions expire on 9 November 2026.
1. What did USTR decide on 7 October 2026?
In a Federal Register notice published on 7 October 2026 (Doc. 2026-20510; 91 FR 64212), USTR confirmed that neither the 6 July 2018 nor the 23 August 2018 China tariff action terminated at its four-year statutory date. Both actions remain in force as modified, and the Section 301 tariff regime continues while the statutory four-year review proceeds.
USTR received 162 continuation requests from domestic producers and trade associations:
- 86 requests (68 from domestic producers, 18 from trade associations) to continue the 6 July 2018 action.
- 76 requests (57 from domestic producers, 19 from trade associations) to continue the 23 August 2018 action.
- Requesters argued the tariffs continue to support reshoring and domestic production; USTR will address effectiveness and possible alternative actions in a separate review notice.
2. How much duty do importers pay on e-bikes and e-scooters?
A Section 301 action is a tariff measure the US Trade Representative imposes under the Trade Act of 1974 in response to unfair foreign trade practices. For Chinese-origin micromobility products, the USITC China tariff file (2026 HTS Revision 14, updated 28 July 2026) maps the additional 25% onto these provisions:
- 8711.60.00 — electric cycles, covering most e-scooters and e-bikes → 9903.88.02, +25%.
- 8712.00 — bicycles and other non-motorised cycles → 9903.88.03, +25%.
- 8714 — motorcycle and bicycle parts → 9903.88.03 / 9903.88.15, +25%.
The normal customs duty for 8711.60.00 is Free, so the HTS 8711.60 Section 301 layer is the decisive cost item. CBP ruling NY N344694 is a working example: an electric scooter classified under 8711.60.0090, normal rate Free, subject to the additional Section 301 duty unless an exclusion applies. Classification is fact-specific — motor output, design and battery configuration can move a product between 8711.60, 8712 and the 8714 parts lines.
3. What happens on 10 November 2026?
The remaining 178 Section 301 exclusions run through 11:59 p.m. Eastern daylight time on 9 November 2026 under USTR's exclusion extension notice. The 7 October continuation decision did not extend them. Unless USTR publishes a further extension, entries filed on or after 10 November 2026 revert to the standard Section 301 rate — generally 25% for the provisions above. As of 19 October 2026, importers have exactly three weeks to file exclusion-eligible entries.
4. What must importers and OEM buyers do now?
Treat the exclusion cliff as a hard milestone in the Q4 buying calendar:
- File exclusion-eligible entries before 23:59 EDT on 9 November 2026; entries after that point generally lose preferential treatment.
- Check eligibility against the exact eight-digit HTS line, not the commercial name “e-bike” — most Chinese-origin models carry no exclusion.
- Rebuild landed-cost models with the 25% layer as the default and the exclusion as the exception.
- Consider a CBP binding ruling where classification is genuinely uncertain between 8711.60, 8712 and 8714.
- Monitor USTR's forthcoming four-year review notice for changes to rates or the exclusion process.
5. How AURORIDE supports US OEM buyers
The exclusion cliff confirms what US importers already suspected: the 25% Section 301 tariff is a planning constant, not a temporary surcharge. Margin is decided at the factory and logistics stage, not at the port. AURORIDE builds OEM programmes and an SKD/CKD option that give US brands control over configuration, packaging and landed-cost engineering, with production documented at the factory level and adjacent supply for mobility scooter lines. To discuss factory options and pricing, request an OEM quotation or apply as a trade partner. For the earlier relief-list context, read US e-bike tariff relief and battery rules.