TAMPA -- An expert in printed circuit board procurement is encouraging buyers to seek rebates for tariffs paid on some types of PCBs no longer taxed under US trade rules.

The US Trade Representative (USTR) has updated its list of imports excluded from tariffs under Section 301 to include 2- and 4-layer rigid printed circuit boards (Items 77 and 78). Under the new rules, the US will no longer levy a tax of 25% on those imports.

Moreover, says Greg Papandrew of Better Board Buying and a columnist for CIRCUITS ASSEMBLY, the exclusions are retroactive to the date the tariffs were implemented. That means, Papandrew says, a company can potentially qualify for a refund of tariffs paid for those PCBs going back to September 2018.

"If your company has directly imported PCBs from China, where you handled the freight and paid the tariffs, the process for a refund isn’t particularly difficult, but it will take some time and paperwork," Papandrew says. "I recommend seeking the help of an experienced tariff attorney like Elon Pollack to expedite the process."

The exclusions do not include single-sided boards, PCBs of six layers or more, or flex/rigid-flex PCBs.

Papandrew has advice for companies seeking refunds for boards procured via distributors. "If you purchased PCBs through a broker, where the tariff was described as a 'pass-thru' charge and reflected on the invoice as a simple line item, then the process should be straightforward: Send the broker an itemized list of paid 2 and 4-layer PCB invoices — noting associated tariff monies paid — and ask for a refund. Hopefully, your PCB broker has been 'above board' when managing actual tariff costs and will return your money quickly, with as little aggravation as possible." 

If board suppliers maintain a tariff charge on 2- or 4-layer rigid boards, Papandrew advised to consider your options.

"I would recommend discussing with domestic PCB brokers the possibility of paying short any open invoice that currently reflects a separate tariff charge for any 2- or 4-layer board."

"Industry should submit a request to the USTR to get boards not currently covered included in the exemption list as well," Papandrew advises. He suggests buyers looking for help in getting tariff refunds contact him at greg@boardbuying.com.

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