Kodak May Be Next to Receive Tariff Exclusions

As we reported last week, Fujifilm North America, Graphic Systems Division, of Hanover Park, Illinois, announced on January 23rd that it’s received tariff tax exclusions on its aluminum offset-printing plates, currently making it the only major printing-plate manufacturer in the United States to earn exclusion from tariffs imposed on $200 billion worth of goods imported from China into the United States. The United States placed 25-percent tariffs on Chinese goods worth some $34 billion in July 2018, and on other Chinese goods worth some $16 billion in August 2018.

Over the past several months, Kodak says it worked very closely with key congressional representatives and trade bodies to get exclusion requests on these tariffs processed through the U.S. Department of Commerce. Kodak uses the aluminum to make printing plates at its plant in Columbus, Georgia.

John O’Grady, president of Kodak Print Systems Division, said, “We’re pleased to report that prior to the U.S. government shutdown, the Commerce Department has granted exclusions for a number of our requests, and we expect all of our exclusions to be approved once the federal government reopens for business.” (Editor’s Note: U.S. President Trump announced on January 26th that the U.S. government would re-open.)

O’Grady also said: “We will continue to provide our customers with regular updates on this situation as it develops.”

Kodak implemented a pass-through surcharge representing the tariff impacts for its printing plates sold in the United States. Once all of the exclusions are granted, Kodak will refund the surcharge back to affected customers.

More Resources

• January 2019: Fujifilm First in Printer Industry to Receive U.S. Tariff Exclusion
• January 2019: Trade War Prompts Ricoh to Move Manufacturing Out of China
• December 2018: CompTIA Praises 90-Day Truce in U.S.-China Tariff War
• September 2018: HP Enterprise, Dell Seek to Have Products Removed from Proposed Tariffs
• September 2018: U.S. Trade Representative Finalizes Tariffs on $200 Billion of Chinese Imports
• August 2018: China Threatens Tariffs on U.S. Printer, Copier, and Part Imports
• July 2018: U.S. Levies Another Tariff on China-Made Goods
• July 2018: U.S. Tariff on China-Made Printer and Copier Parts Start Today
• June 2018: HP Responds to Proposed Tariffs on China-Imported Products
• June 2018: ISC Argues Against Proposed U.S. Tariffs on China-Imported Printer, Copier Supplies
• June 2018: U.S. Slaps 25-Percent Tariff on China-Made Products