Section 201 Safeguard Tariffs

Section 201 requires an ITC finding that increased imports are a substantial cause of serious injury to a domestic industry; the President may then impose tariffs, tariff-rate quotas or quotas for up to four years, extendable to a maximum of eight. The 2018 washer safeguard ended February 7, 2023, and the solar safeguard, extended in 2022, expired February 6, 2026. Safeguard duties are paid by the importer of record and apply to imports from all countries except those excluded.

Safeguards show that duties can hit a product category from all origins at once, which matters for operators handling bulky, duty-sensitive goods such as appliances or solar equipment. The 2018 washer safeguard charged 20 percent within a quota and 50 percent above it, so importers rushed shipments early in each quota year and warehouses saw volume spikes. Although the solar measure has expired, domestic industries can petition the ITC for new safeguards at any time, so operators storing such goods should watch ITC filings.

• Section 301 TariffsExtra US duties, mainly on Chinese goods
• Antidumping DutyADExtra duty on goods sold below fair value
• Importer of RecordIORParty legally responsible for an import

• Trade Act of 19741974 · US law behind Section 301, 201 and 122 tariffs
• Section 232 Tariffs2018, expanded 2025 and 2026 · National-security tariffs on metals, autos and more
• General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)1947 · Postwar treaty that set most-favored-nation tariff rules

1. 19 U.S.C. 2251, Action to facilitate positive adjustment to import competition law.cornell.edu
2. Solar Power World: Section 201 tariffs on imported solar panels expire (February 2026) solarpowerworldonline.com