WCO Finalizes 233 Changes to Harmonized System to Take Effect in 2017 HTS

The World Customs Organization finalized 233 amendments to the Harmonized System product nomenclature (here) that will take effect in 2017, it announced on Jan. 21 (here). The WCO Council had adopted the amendments in June 2014, and WCO members then had six months to object to any of the amendments before implementing them in their own tariff schedules. The body made only one change after hearing objections, deleting an amendment that would have changed the name of the tropical wood “imbuia” to “imbua” after it realized the "imbuia" is correct. WCO members, including the U.S., will now go to work implementing the amendments in time for their Jan. 1, 2017 effective date. The International Trade Commission began the process of integrating the Harmonized System changes into the HTS in August (see 14082226).