List 4A is the fourth tranche of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports, announced by USTR on August 20, 2019 (84 FR 43304). It was the consumer-goods-heavy "List 4" — originally split into List 4A (effective September 1, 2019) and List 4B (the remainder, originally scheduled for December 15, 2019).
List 4A took effect at 15%; it was reduced to 7.5% under the "Phase One" trade agreement effective February 14, 2020. List 4B was suspended indefinitely and never took effect.
List 4A coverage includes a substantial portion of consumer-facing imports:
- Apparel and footwear
- Consumer electronics (including TVs, headphones, smartwatches not already on prior lists)
- Toys and sporting goods
- Home goods, cookware, and kitchen items
- Musical instruments
List 4A duties are declared under Chapter 99 subheading 9903.88.15 at 7.5% ad valorem, stacked on the underlying Chapter 1–97 rate. A List 4A exclusion process ran in 2019–2020; most granted exclusions expired by the end of 2020 unless individually renewed.
The May 2024 four-year review left most List 4A rates at 7.5%, with selective increases for strategic items. Because List 4A covers high-volume consumer categories, it is one of the largest revenue-generating components of the Section 301 program.
List 4B — the suspended remainder — covered cellphones, laptops, video game consoles, and other electronics that USTR ultimately chose not to subject to 301 duties.