✌️ A Tariff Trip Report: Where We’re At
In August 2025, the U.S. extended its tariff truce with China for another 90 days. That means current tariff rates (about 30% on Chinese imports) will stay put until November 10, 2025【reuters.com】. After that? The haze clears or thickens depending on negotiations in Geneva and Stockholm.
Tariff Pause End Date: November 10, 2025.
🌿 Paper Codes: The Chill Option
Cannabis brands—ready to channel Mother Earth, not plastic? Paper packaging is more than aesthetic—it’s strategic. Let’s look at the HTS codes:
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HTS 4819.50.4020: Covers “fiber drums, cans, tubes and similar containers of paper, paperboard...” —exactly where paper-based tubes fit (HS Codes HTS Hub Descartes Datamyne USITC
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Another relevant heading, Chapter 48, includes “paper and paperboard” classifications, especially folding carton products (see 4804 series) (Tariffy, USITC
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For “cigarette paper or tubes,” there’s HTS 4813, but that’s tobacco-specific and not the cannabis focus (HTS Hub.)
👉 Why it matters: Most paper-based packaging avoids the higher steel, copper, or plastic tariff brackets—making it an affordable, sustainable fave for cannabis brands wanting both style and savings.
Check out MSN Packaging’s paper heroes:
🔩 Metal Codes: The Heavy, Expensive Trip
Now let’s talk about what not to vibe with—metal packaging.
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HTS 7310.29.0050 → Iron or steel cans, boxes, drums, & containers.
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Tariff Rate (China, 2025): ~60% (30% base + extra Section 232 steel surcharges).
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HTS 8309.90.0000 → Aluminum caps, lids, seals, and closures.
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Tariff Rate: ~50–55% after U.S.–China duties.
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HTS 7310.10.0050 → Steel cans for food or beverages.
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Tariff Rate: 60%+ depending on alloy.
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That’s some heavy metal—and not the kind you want at your sesh. Importing steel or aluminum containers from China is like burning cash in your ashtray.
🌈 Why Paper Packaging Is the Cosmic Winner
Cannabis brands don’t need to feel crushed by metal tariffs. With paper:
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Lower tariff rates (30% vs. 50–60% on metals).
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Sustainability vibes = customer loyalty.
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Easier customization (colors, logos, prints).
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Earth-friendly energy that matches the cannabis lifestyle.
🌻 Cosmic Wrap-Up
The tariff world is trippy:
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Pause lasts until November 10, 2025.
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Paper = HTS 4819.50.4020 (~30% tariffs).
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Metals = 50–60%+ tariffs—a serious bad trip.
👉 Stay groovy, stay green, and keep your cannabis packaging in the paper lane with MSN Packaging.