New US Tariffs: HS 6309 Exempt, HS 6310 Mostly Not
On July 24, 2026, the United States began collecting new Section 301 tariffs of 10 percent or 12.5 percent on imports from 60 trading partners, following investigations into how each economy enforces bans on goods made with forced labor. For anyone working in the used clothing and rag trade, the question that matters is narrower than the headline: does the HS 6309 tariff exemption for worn clothing survive, and what happens to HS 6310 mixed rags? The short version is that worn clothing came through clean across all 60 economies, while mixed rags did not, except from three countries. Here is what changed, why the two headings were treated differently, and what it means for a buyer or grader working with container shipments.
What USTR Actually Did on July 24
The U.S. Trade Representative's investigations, opened in March 2026, examined whether 60 major trading partners adequately prohibit and enforce restrictions on imports made with forced labor. USTR concluded that all 60 were actionable and imposed new duties, layered on top of existing most-favored-nation (MFN) rates, subject to product-specific exemptions. The action took effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on July 24, 2026. Goods already loaded and in transit before that time escaped the new duty if entered for consumption before 12:01 a.m. ET on July 28, 2026, a grace period that has now closed.
Two Tariff Tiers, Plus a Net-of-MFN Group
Economies that already ban forced-labor imports, have committed to doing so through an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade, or run a partial regime restricting some forced-labor goods, pay a 10 percent Section 301 duty. That group includes Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom. Every other investigated economy, including China and Vietnam, pays 12.5 percent. Five economies get different treatment: for the European Union and Taiwan, the Section 301 duty is calculated so the combined MFN and Section 301 rate is capped at 10 percent; for Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, the cap is 12.5 percent. Where a product's existing MFN duty already meets or exceeds that cap, no additional Section 301 duty applies. USTR has also said it will set up tariff-rate quotas for Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Malaysia tied to their use of US cotton and textile inputs, though until those quotas are formally established the standard 10 percent rate applies to their textile and apparel goods.
Why Worn Clothing Under HS 6309 Stayed Exempt
Worn clothing classified under HTSUS 6309.00.00, the heading that covers credential clothing and other worn wearable articles, is excluded from the new duties for every one of the 60 covered economies. According to SMART Association's reading of the Federal Register notice, this runs through U.S. Note 52(b), which lists 6309.00.00 in the master exemption schedule referenced by the country-specific Chapter 99 headings covering all 60 economies at once, rather than economy by economy. SMART submitted comments during the proceeding specifically requesting this exemption for HS 6309, and the final action grants it in full. That matters directly for Fastex's core product: credential clothing and original donations sourced from charitable and institutional collections do not carry this tariff, regardless of which of the 60 economies they might otherwise route through.
Why HS 6310 Mixed Rags Mostly Did Not
HTSUS 6310, covering sorted and unsorted textile rags and worn-out articles, was treated differently. SMART also requested a broad exemption here, but USTR granted a narrower one: all four 6310 tariff lines, sorted and unsorted rags of wool or fine animal hair, and other sorted and unsorted rags, are exempt only for imports from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Jordan. That narrower carve-out lines up with the same textile-and-apparel exemption list that gives those three countries duty-free treatment on CAFTA-DR and Jordan-FTA-qualifying apparel. For every other covered economy, including China, the EU, the UK, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Canada, and Mexico, HS 6310 shipments are subject to whichever Section 301 treatment applies to that economy, added to the ordinary MFN duty in most cases, or calculated net of MFN for the EU, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland.
What This Means If You Buy Containers From Fastex
Section 301 tariffs tax goods entering the United States from the 60 listed economies. Fastex sources credential clothing, mixed rags, and original donations from charitable and institutional collections across North America, Europe, the UK, and Australia, and exports full 40' HC containers to established buyers in Pakistan, India, UAE, and Central and South America, plus the growing Eastern Europe market. That is an outbound flow, not an inbound one, so this action does not add a duty to a Fastex container leaving port for one of those destinations. Where it does matter is upstream: for a US-based grader or broker who separately imports mixed rags into the US from one of the 54 non-exempt economies for reprocessing, that inbound flow now carries the added duty unless routed through Guatemala, El Salvador, or Jordan. As a SMART Association member, Fastex treats accurate, source-checked trade information as part of the documentation a buyer should expect from a supplier.
Before You Assume a Shipment Is Exempt
The exemption schedule runs to hundreds of pages, so this post cannot substitute for a broker's review of a specific shipment. A few things worth confirming before acting on any of the above:
Confirm the HTS classification, not just the product description. HS 6309 requires appreciable wear; garments that still read as new merchandise can be classified differently, with different duty treatment.
Confirm true country of origin, not just country of shipment. Section 301 exemptions and rates attach to the origin economy, not the port the goods transited through.
Check entry dates against the grace period. Goods entered for consumption on or after July 24, 2026, are subject to the new duty unless they qualify under the narrow in-transit exception that closed July 28.
Confirm CAFTA-DR or Jordan-FTA routing for HS 6310. The rag exemption for Guatemala, El Salvador, and Jordan tracks the same preferential-trade mechanics as their apparel exemptions, so eligibility isn't automatic.
Verify against the Federal Register notice or a licensed customs broker. Trade-association summaries, including this one, are a starting point, not a substitute for classification advice on your specific entry.
Frequently asked questions
Does this tariff change what I pay for a Fastex container?
No. This is a US import tariff on goods entering the United States from the 60 covered economies. Fastex containers leave the US and its other established sourcing countries for buyers abroad, so this action does not add a duty to that outbound shipment.
Is HS 6309 worn clothing exempt from the new tariff for every country?
Yes. Worn clothing under HTSUS 6309.00.00 is excluded from the Section 301 duty for all 60 investigated economies, under the master exemption schedule referenced in U.S. Note 52(b).
Which countries keep the HS 6310 mixed-rags exemption?
Only Guatemala, El Salvador, and Jordan. Imports of HS 6310 sorted or unsorted textile rags from every other covered economy, including China, the EU, the UK, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Canada, and Mexico, are subject to the applicable Section 301 duty.
When did the tariff take effect, and is there a grace period?
The duty applies to goods entered for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. ET on July 24, 2026. Goods already loaded and in transit before that time avoided the duty only if entered before 12:01 a.m. ET on July 28, 2026, a window that has now closed.
Where can I verify the details for a specific shipment?
Confirm classification, origin, and exemption eligibility with a licensed customs broker or trade counsel, and check the official Federal Register notice for the current text of U.S. Note 52 and the Annex I and II exemption lists.
Start a container enquiry
If you're placing an order for credential clothing, mixed rags, or original donations and want to talk through grades, destination port, or documentation, reach Fastex on WhatsApp at +971 55 839 3916 or by email at info@fastexgt.com. You can also start on the contact page and tell us your target grades and destination. Global Trading. Grounded in Trust.