CBP Finalizes Rule on U.S.-Oman FTA Regulations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a final rule adopting, without change, interim amendments to CBP regulations that were published in January 2011 on the preferential tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement (OFTA). The final rule is effective November 21, 2011.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
(See ITT's Online Archives 11010629 for summary of the interim amendments that implement provisions of the OFTA.)
2008 Proclamation Already Implemented OFTA Tariff Changes
In December 2008, Presidential Proclamation 8332 modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) to implement the tariff provisions of the OFTA. The HTS modifications included the addition of new General Note 31 to incorporate the relevant OFTA rules of origin and the insertion throughout the HTS of the preferential duty rates applicable to individual products under the OFTA where the special program indicator “OM” appears in parenthesis in the “Special” rate of duty sub-column.
The HTS modifications also included a new Subchapter XVI to Chapter 99 to provide for temporary tariff rate quotas (TRQs) and applicable safeguards implemented by the OFTA. Staged duty reductions under the OFTA would also take effect annually until all affected tariff numbers are free of duty by December 31, 2018.
(See ITT's Online Archives 09011520 for summary of Proclamation 8322.)
Customs-Related OFTA Provisions Include Market Access, Textiles, Origin, Etc.
In its interim final rule, CBP stated that the customs-related OFTA provisions which required amendments to regulations included certain tariff and non-tariff provisions within Chapter One (Establishment of Free Trade Area and Definitions), Chapter Two (Market Access), Chapter Three (Textiles and Apparel), Chapter Four (Rules of Origin), and Chapter Five (Customs Administration).
The amendments also incorporated certain general definitions set forth in Article 1.3 of the OFTA and the Goods Re-entered after Repair or Alteration provisions of Article 2.6 of the OFTA.
CBP Contacts --
| Textile Operations: | Nancy Mondich (202) 863-6524 |
| Other Operations: | Seth Mazze (202) 863-6567 |
| Legal Aspects: | Elif Eroglu (202) 325-0277 |
(DN USCBP-2010-0041, FR Pub 10/21/11)