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What China Just Raised Tariffs On, From Lizards to Wigs

What China Just Raised Tariffs On, From Lizards to Wigs

(Bloomberg) -- China’s latest retaliatory measure to raise tariffs on around $60 billion of U.S. goods may be about to push up prices for fans of American periodicals, lovers of a vodka-based cocktails, and anyone who wears makeup.

Importers of U.S. seawater and reptiles are also in line for higher prices.

Tariffs will go up to 25% on around $900 million worth of beauty and skincare products, including perfume, eye and lip make-up, nail polish and pressed powder. After-shave, shampoo, hair gel, tooth paste, dental floss, and mouthwash are also subject to higher duties.

In fact, beauty products were the second biggest category behind liquefied natural gas in terms of value traded in 2018, among those subject to the tariff hike from 10% to 25%.

These are just some of the 4,545 U.S. goods that will see raised import taxes from June 1.

Click here for all tariff lists: China’s Tariffs on U.S. Exports: Product Translation

Juice made from oranges, grapefruits, pineapples or coconuts are also on the list, as are vodka, gin, rum and tequila. And tomato lovers may be hit as $4 million worth of preserved tomatoes, ketchup, tubs of tomato paste, and juice are also subject to the hike.

The lists also include $203 million of “newspapers, journals and periodicals appearing less than four times a week,” printed books, dictionaries and encyclopedias. Musical instruments like pianos, electric keyboards, harmonicas, percussion and brass-wind instruments, along with manuscript and printed music also face higher import taxes.

Here’s a selection of some of the targeted U.S. imports, and their value in 2018.

Item

2018 import value ($)

Beauty, make-up, skin-care (incl. sun block cream)818,201,072
Sea water192,509
Reptiles1,407,511
Wigs, false beards, eyebrows, etc & articles of human hair2,247,968
American ginseng14,138,703
Tomato ketchup2,757,394
Tomato juice117,860
Tomato paste, in airtight containers weighing more than 5kg1,282,923
Video games, coin or disc-operated, excl bowling alley equipment (i.e. arcade machines)5,120,735
Industrial robots for multiple uses10,689,362
Diamonds, un-worked or graded11,725,395
Vodka1,917,113
Spirits from distilled grape wine86,593
Rum and other spirits by distilling fermented sugarcane products1,002,494
Gin204,430
Unused banknotes of current or new issue in the destined country76,771
Mahjong and similar board games123,250
Chess and other board games, including. Chinese/international chess28,596

To contact the reporter on this story: Natalie Lung in Hong Kong at flung6@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Jeffrey Black at jblack25@bloomberg.net, James Mayger

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.