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ITC's Final Report on Proposed HTS Changes for 2012 (Part 3: Ch. 6-15)

June 13, 2011 by Elizabeth Parker|Top News

The International Trade Commission has issued a final report in connection with its investigation of proposed 2012 WCO-recommended modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S., pursuant to section 1205 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 19881. This is Part 3 of a series of summaries of these proposed modifications, and covers changes to Chapters 6-15.

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(These WCO-recommended HTS changes, which are intended to be rate-neutral, are scheduled to take effect via proclamation on January 1, 2012; however, they can take effect no sooner than 30 days after the proclamation is published in the Federal Register).

Amendments to HTS Sections II-III, Chapters 6 - 15

The following are the recommended amendments to HTS Section II (Vegetable Products), covering Chapters 6-14, and Section III (Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils and their Cleavage Products; Prepared Edible Fats; Animal or Vegetable Waxes), covering Chapter 15 (see report for full descriptions/details):

Chapter 6: Live Trees and Other Plants; Bulbs, Roots and the Like; Cut Flowers and Ornamental Foliage

  • New subheading 0603.15.00 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Subheading 0603.19.00 would be renumbered as 0603.19.01.
  • Subheadings 0604.10.00 through 0604.99.60 would be superseded by the following: 0604.20.00, 0604.90, 0604.90.30, and 0604.90.60.

Chapter 7:Edible Vegetables and Certain Roots and Tubers

  • Subheadings 0709.90 through 0709.90.91 would be superseded by the following: 0709.91.00, 0709.92.00, 0709.93, 0709.93.10, 0709.93.20, 0709.93.30, 0709.99, 0709.99.05, 0709.99.10, 0709.99.14, 0709.99.30, 0709.99.45, and 0709.99.90.
  • New subheadings 0713.34, 0713.34.10, 0713.34.20, 0713.34.40 and 0713.35.00 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Subheadings 0713.39.10, 0713.39.20 and 0713.39.40 would be renumbered as 0713.39.11, 0713.39.21 and 0713.39.41, respectively.
  • Subheading 0713.39.15 would be deleted.
  • New subheadings 0713.60.10, 0713.60.60 and 0713.60.80 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Conforming modifications to General Note 4(d) 2 to the HTS would be made by (i) deleting 0713.90.80 (India) and (ii) adding 0713.60.80 (India).
  • Subheadings 0713.90.10, 0713.90.60 and 0713.90.80 would be renumbered as 0713.90.11, 0713.90.61 and 0713.90.81, respectively.
  • Conforming modifications to General Note 4(d) to the HTS would be made by adding the following subheading and country: 0713.90.81 (India).
  • New subheadings 0714.30, 0714.30.10, 0714.30.20, 0714.30.50, 0714.30.60, 0714.40, 0714.40.10, 0714.40.20, 0714.40.50, 0714.40.60, 0714.50, 0714.50.10, 0714.50.20, 0714.50.50 and 0714.50.60 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Subheading 0714.90.20 would be deleted.
  • Subheadings 0714.90.40, 0714.90.45, 0714.90.50 and 0714.90.60 would be renumbered as 0714.90.41, 0714.90.46, 0714.90.51 and 0714.90.61, respectively.

Chapter 8: Edible Fruit and Nuts; Peel of Citrus Fruit or Melons

  • New subheading 0801.12.00 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Subheading 0801.19.00 would be renumbered as 0801.19.01.
  • Subheadings 0802.40.00 through 0802.60.80 would be superseded by the following: 0802.41.00, 0802.42.00, 0802.51.00, 0802.52.00, 0802.61.00, 0802.62.00, 0802.70.10, 0802.70.20, 0802.80.10, and 0802.80.20.
  • Conforming modifications to General Note 4(d) to the HTS would be made by (i) deleting the following subheadings and countries: 0802.50.20 - Turkey and 0802.90.94 - Cote d’Ivoire; and (ii) adding 0802.51.00 - Turkey and 0802.70.20 - Cote d'Ivoire.
  • Subheadings 0802.90.81 and 0802.90.97 would be renumbered as 0802.90.82 and 0807.90.98, respectively.
  • Subheading 0802.90.94 would be deleted.
  • Subheadings 0803.00, 0803.00.20, 0803.00.30 and 0803.00.40 would be superseded by the following: 0803, 0803.10, 0803.10.10, 0803.10.20, and 0803.90.00.
  • Subheadings 0808.20 through 0808.20.40 would be superseded by the following: 0808.30, 0808.30.20, 0808.30.40, 0808.40, 0808.40.20, and 0808.40.40.
  • Subheading 0809.20.00 would be superseded by the following: 0809.21.00 and 0809.29.00.
  • New subheading 0810.30.00 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Subheading 0810.90.26 would be superseded by the following: 0810.90.27.
  • New subheading 0810.70.00 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Subheading 0810.90.45 would be renumbered as 0810.90.46.

Chapter 9: Coffee, Tea, Maté and Spices

  • Subheadings 0904.20 through 0904.20.80 would be superseded by the following: 0904.21, 0904.21.20, 0904.21.40, 0904.21.60, 0904.21.80, 0904.22, 0904.22.20, 0904.22.40, 0904.22.73, 0904.22.76, and 0904.22.80.
  • Conforming modifications to General Note 4(d) to the HTS would be made by (i) deleting 0904.20.76 (India), and (ii) adding 0904.22.76 (India).
  • Subheading 0905.00.00 would be superseded by the following: 0905, 0905.10.00, and 0905.20.00.
  • Subheading 0907.00.00 would be superseded by the following: 0907, 0907.10.00, and 0907.20.00.
  • Subheadings 0908.10.00 through 0908.30.00 would be superseded by the following: 0908.11.00, 0908.12.00, 0908.21.00, 0908.22, 0908.22.20, 0908.22.40, 0908.31.00, and 0908.32.00.
  • Subheading 0909.10.00 would be deleted.
  • Subheadings 0909.20.00 through 0909.50.00 would be superseded by the following: 0909.21.00, 0909.22.00, 0909.31.00, 0909.32.00, 0909.61.00, and 0909.62.00.
  • Subheadings 0910.10 through 0910.10.40 would be superseded by the following: 0910.11.00 and 0910.12.00.

Chapter 10: Cereals

  • Subheadings 1001.10.00 through 1001.90.20 would be superseded by the following: 1001.11.00, 1001.19.00, 1001.91.00, and 1001.99.00.
  • Subheadings 1002.00.00 through 1004.00.00 would be superseded by the following: 1002, 1002.10.00, 1002.90.00, 1003, 1003.10.00, 1003.90, 1003.90.20, 1003.90.40, 1004, 1004.10.00, and 1004.90.00.
  • Subheading 1007.00.00 would be superseded by the following: 1007, 1007.10.00, and 1007.90.00.
  • Conforming modifications to General Note 4(d) to the HTS would be made by (i) deleting 1007.00.00 (Argentina), and (ii) adding the following subheadings and countries: 1007.10.00 (Argentina) and 1007.90.00 (Argentina).
  • The text of heading 1008 would be modified by deleting the word “seed” and inserting “seeds” in lieu thereof.
  • Subheading 1008.20.00 would be superseded by the following: 1008.21.00 and 1008.29.00.
  • The article description of subheading 1008.30.00 would be modified by deleting the word “seed” and inserting “seeds” in lieu thereof.
  • New subheadings 1008.40.00, 1008.50.00, and 1008.60.00 would be inserted in numerical sequence.

Chapter 11: Products of the Milling Industry; Malt; Starches; Inulin; Wheat Gluten

  • Subheading 1102.10.00 would be deleted.
  • New subheading 1102.90.27 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Subheading 1201.00.00 would be superseded by the following: 1201, 1201.10.00, and 1201.90.00.

Chapter 12: Oil Seeds and Oleaginous Fruits; Miscellaneous Grains, Seeds and Fruits; Industrial or Medicinal Plants; Straw and Fodder

  • Subheadings 1202.10 through 1202.20.80 would be superseded by the following: 1202.30, 1202.30.05, 1202.30.40, 1202.30.80, 1202.41, 1202.41.05, 1202.41.40, 1202.41.80, 1202.42, 1202.42.05, 1202.42.40, and 1202.42.80.
  • Additional U.S. Note 2 to Chapter 12 would be modified by deleting the expression “1202.10.40, 1202.20.40" and inserting “1202.30.40, 1202.41.40, 1202.42.40" in lieu thereof.
  • Conforming modifications to General Note 4(d) to the HTS would be made by (i) deleting 0713.90.80 (Argentina), and (ii) adding the following subheadings and countries: 1202.30.40 (Argentina) and 1202.42.40 (Argentina).
  • Subheadings 1207.20.00 through 1207.50.00 would be superseded by the following: 1207.10.00, 1207.21.00, 1207.29.00, 1207.30.00, 1207.40.00, 1207.50.00, 1207.60.00, and 1207.70.00.
  • Subheading 1207.99.02 would be renumbered as 1207.99.03.
  • The article descriptions of subheadings 1209.10.00, 1209.22, 1209.23.00, 1209.24.00 and 1209.25.00 would each be modified by deleting the word “seed” and inserting “seeds” in lieu thereof.
  • Subheading 1212.20.00 would be superseded by the following: 1212.21.00 and 1212.29.00.
  • Subheading 1212.99.10 would be deleted.
  • New subheadings 1212.92.00, 1212.93.00, 1212.94.00 would be inserted in numerical sequence.
  • Subheading 1212.99.91 would be renumbered as 1212.99.92.

(Note that no changes are proposed for Chapters 13 and 14.)

Chapter 15: Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils and their Cleavage Products Prepared Edible Fats; Animal or Vegetable Waxes

  • Subheading 1501.00.00 would be superseded by the following: 1501, 1501.10.00, 1501.20.00, and 1501.90.00.
  • Subheading 1502.00.00 would be superseded by the following: 1502, 1502.10.00, and 1502.90.00.

1Section 1205 directs the ITC to keep the HTS under continuous review and to recommend to the President modifications thereto, (1) when amendments to the international Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System, International HS), and the Protocol thereto, are recommended by the World Customs Organization (WCO) for adoption; and/or (2) as other circumstances warrant.

2General Note 4(d) lists Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) country/tariff number combinations that are not eligible for GSP duty-free treatment.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 06/09/11 and 06/10/11 news, 11060918 and 11061006, for BP summaries of Part 1 (Overview) and Part 2 (Chapters 1-5) of this report.

See ITT's Online Archives or 03/09/11 news, 10090315, for BP summary of the ITC announcing its investigation on proposed changes to the HTS for January 2012.)

(ITC Inv. No. 1205-7 (Final Report), dated June 2010)