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9903.06.21: Jordan Section 301 Forced Labor Exemption

Published: September 30, 2026 · 7 min read

Key Points

HTS 9903.06.21 is an exemption heading, not a duty: it reduces or removes a Section 301 forced-labor duty for qualifying articles that are the product of Jordan.
The heading covers articles as provided for in subdivision (j)(13)(ii) of U.S. Note 52 to Subchapter III of Chapter 99, which defines the exact product scope.
When claimed, the duty rate is "the duty provided in the applicable subheading," meaning only the regular Chapter 1-97 duty (and any other stacking duties) applies, not an additional Section 301 forced-labor charge.
This code is a Chapter 99 claim heading that rides alongside the underlying Chapter 1-97 classification line on the entry summary.
As of September 30, 2026, all details in this article are drawn from official HTSUS sources; confirm current applicability with the live tariff schedule or your broker.

HTS 9903.06.21 is a Section 301 forced labor exemption heading that applies to articles that are the product of Jordan, as specified in subdivision (j)(13)(ii) of U.S. Note 52 to Subchapter III of Chapter 99 of the HTSUS. Importers who qualify under that subdivision claim this heading to avoid paying the associated Section 301 forced-labor additional duty. The heading itself carries no duty; the applicable rate is simply the duty provided in the underlying Chapter 1-97 subheading.

The links throughout this article point to primary documents: the official HTSUS, CBP guidance pages, and government source materials. Read the source before making classification or entry decisions.

What HTS 9903.06.21 is and what program it belongs to

The Section 301 forced labor tariff program imposes additional duties on goods that U.S. trade authorities have determined are connected to forced labor supply chains. Within that framework, a separate set of Chapter 99 headings, beginning at 9903.05.85 and continuing through the 9903.06 block, creates exemptions or exceptions for specific country-product combinations where the forced-labor concern has been addressed or where a carve-out applies.

HTS 9903.06.21 is one of those exemption headings. It is not a tariff line that adds money to your duty bill. It is a claim heading: an importer invokes it to establish that a particular shipment qualifies for relief from the forced-labor additional duty that would otherwise apply.

The legal scope of the heading is set by subdivision (j)(13)(ii) of U.S. Note 52 to Subchapter III of Chapter 99. That note, published in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), controls which goods and which Jordanian suppliers or product categories fall within the exemption. The subdivision number is precise and matters: only goods that fit (j)(13)(ii) qualify for this specific heading, not other subdivisions of Note 52 or other country headings.

Sister headings in the same 9903.06 block cover other countries in analogous exemption frameworks. For comparison, see our articles on 9903.06.17 (Indonesia) and 9903.06.19 (Ecuador).

Exact product and country scope

The heading text reads: "Articles the product of Jordan, as provided for in subdivision (j)(13)(ii) of U.S. note 52 to this subchapter."

Two conditions must both be satisfied:

Country of origin: The goods must be the product of Jordan. Standard CBP country-of-origin rules apply to determine whether goods genuinely originate in Jordan.
Product scope: The goods must fall within the commodity description in subdivision (j)(13)(ii) of U.S. Note 52. That subdivision is the controlling definition of which products qualify. Confirm the subdivision text in the current HTSUS at hts.usitc.gov, because subdivision language can be updated by trade actions or Federal Register notices.

If either condition is not met, this exemption heading cannot be claimed. An importer who cannot satisfy both conditions would be subject to the Section 301 forced-labor duty without the benefit of this exemption.

How the rate works: an exemption, not an added duty

The HTSUS general column rate for 9903.06.21 is: "The duty provided in the applicable subheading."

This language is the standard formulation for a Chapter 99 exemption or exception heading. It means:

The heading itself adds zero dollars to your duty liability.
You pay the normal duty rate of the Chapter 1-97 subheading under which the goods are classified, along with any other separately applicable duties (see stacking discussion below).
What you do not pay, if the exemption is properly claimed, is the Section 301 forced-labor additional duty that would otherwise ride on top of that Chapter 1-97 rate.

This is meaningful to your landed cost calculation. Understand the difference between the base duty and the additional duty before computing total duty liability. For a practical walkthrough, see our guide on how to calculate the landed cost of a U.S. import in 2026.

How this code appears on a customs entry

Chapter 99 exemption headings are secondary classification lines. On an ACE entry summary, the structure looks like this:

Line 1 (Chapter 1-97): The substantive classification of the goods, for example a textile or manufactured product subheading that carries the base duty rate.
Line 2 (Chapter 99): 9903.06.21, entered as an additional HTS number on the same line or as a secondary HTS to signal to CBP that the importer is claiming the Section 301 forced-labor exemption for Jordanian goods under Note 52(j)(13)(ii).

CBP processing systems read the Chapter 99 code alongside the Chapter 1-97 code. Omitting the exemption heading when it applies means you will not receive the exemption and will be billed for the forced-labor additional duty. Conversely, claiming it when you do not qualify creates a different problem: underpayment of duty that CBP may discover on audit. For more on what happens when CBP finds underpayments, see How Do I Find Duty Underpayments Before CBP Does?

Verify proper entry formatting with your broker or in current CBP CSMS guidance at cbp.gov.

Interaction with other tariff provisions

Claiming 9903.06.21 exempts the goods from the Section 301 forced-labor additional duty, but it does not immunize the entry from every other possible duty layer. You should separately evaluate:

Base MFN or preferential duty: The Chapter 1-97 rate still applies unless a free trade agreement or other preference program reduces it.
Other Section 301 duties: If the goods are subject to a separate Section 301 action (for example, country-specific additional duties unrelated to the forced-labor program), those duties are governed by their own Chapter 99 headings and are not waived by 9903.06.21.
Section 232 duties: Steel and aluminum additional duties under Section 232 are separate and have their own legal authority and headings.
Antidumping and countervailing duties: ADD and CVD are separately assessed and are not affected by this exemption heading.

Always map every applicable Chapter 99 heading for a given entry line before computing total duty exposure. Our duty calculator can help you model stacked-duty scenarios, and the 2026 tariff code overview gives broader context on the current Chapter 99 landscape.

What importers should do

Verify product scope against the note text: Pull up subdivision (j)(13)(ii) of U.S. Note 52 in the live HTSUS at hts.usitc.gov and confirm that your specific goods from Jordan meet the description before claiming the heading.
Confirm country-of-origin documentation: Have supplier certificates or other origin evidence ready to support a Jordan origin determination before the entry is filed, as CBP may request documentation to support the exemption claim.
Report the heading correctly on ACE entries: Work with your broker to ensure 9903.06.21 appears as a secondary HTS alongside the correct Chapter 1-97 subheading on every qualifying line, and check that other stacking duties are separately accounted for.
Review prior entries for missed exemptions: If your Jordan-origin goods qualified under this heading on past entries but the exemption was not claimed, consult your broker on whether a post-entry correction or protest is available. See also Customs Prior Disclosure Timing: What CBP Knowledge Really Means for context on voluntary corrections.

Key references

Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) - Official tariff schedule including Chapter 99 and U.S. Note 52, maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - Entry filing guidance, CSMS messages, and WRO information relevant to forced-labor enforcement.
Federal Register - Notices and rules establishing and modifying Section 301 forced-labor duty actions and exemptions.
White House - Presidential proclamations and executive orders related to trade and tariff programs.
9903.06.17: Indonesia Section 301 Forced Labor Exemption - Parallel exemption heading analysis for Indonesian goods.
9903.06.19: Ecuador Section 301 Forced Labor Exemption - Parallel exemption heading analysis for Ecuadorian goods.

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About the Author

Franz Brotzen, CustomsGenius CEO & Founder. Franz is a published researcher on U.S. trade policy. He has worked at think tanks in Washington DC and Tokyo, where his academic publications focussed on tariffs and legal compliance. Franz received his JD from Harvard Law School.