ITC Posts 2018 Harmonized Tariff Schedule, Which Took Effect Jan. 1
The International Trade Commission posted the 2018 Basic Edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The new HTS implements the reinstatement of Argentina into the Generalized System of Preferences, as well as The Gambia and Swaziland as African Growth and Opportunity Act beneficiaries. New statistical suffixes are also added for organic lemons, gift wrap ribbons and bows, and metal bed bases, among others. Most of the changes took effect Jan. 1.
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.
(Note: This report only includes changes made since the last revision to the online HTS (HTS 2017 Rev. 1) went into effect on July 1, 2017 (see 1707030037). For a full list of changes since the last paper edition of the HTS was published on Jan. 1, 2017, see the change record.)
Argentina added to GSP. Argentina is re-added to the list of countries eligible for the GSP in General Note 4(a). The country had been suspended from the program since 2012 due to its failure to pay arbitral awards owed to U.S. companies (see 12032738).
Argentina’s reinstatement into GSP also results in the addition to HTS General Note 4(d) of nearly 100 country-product pairs ineligible for GSP when imported from Argentina because imports exceeded competitive need limitations. For these subheadings, special program indicator (SPI) codes throughout the tariff schedule are changed from “A” to “A*” to denote that some GSP countries are ineligible.
| 0404.90.10 | 0703.20.00 | 1701.13.10* | 1701.14.10* | 2805.40.00 |
| 2813.90.50 | 2832.30.10 | 2839.90.50 | 2841.30.00 | 2841.50.91 |
| 2843.30.00 | 2849.10.00 | 2850.00.50 | 2905.12.00 | 2905.13.00 |
| 2905.22.50 | 2906.19.30 | 2914.12.00 | 2914.13.00 | 2915.70.01 |
| 2917.14.50 | 2918.21.50 | 2918.22.10* | 2918.22.50 | 2929.10.15 |
| 2932.99.90 | 2933.49.30 | 2933.99.55 | 3209.90.00 | 3301.19.10 |
| 3301.90.10* | 3307.20.00 | 3307.49.00 | 3504.00.50 | 3506.99.50 |
| 3701.10.00 | 3702.10.00 | 3706.10.30 | 3707.90.32 | 3901.90.90 |
| 3902.10.00 | 3902.20.50 | 3902.90.00 | 3903.90.50 | 3904.40.00 |
| 3906.10.00 | 3906.90.50 | 3907.30.00 | 3907.61.00* | 3907.69.00* |
| 3907.70.00 | 3907.99.20 | 3907.99.50 | 3909.10.00 | 3909.50.50 |
| 3913.90.20 | 3921.90.50 | 3923.90.00 | 4011.10.10* | 4201.00.60 |
| 4303.10.00 | 6910.90.00* | 7007.11.00 | 7114.11.60 | 7202.21.50* |
| 7202.30.00* | 7315.90.00 | 7409.11.50 | 7409.21.00 | 7901.11.00 |
| 7901.12.50* | 8207.20.00 | 8409.91.50* | 8409.91.99 | 8409.99.91* |
| 8477.51.00 | 8480.30.00 | 8481.30.20 | 8481.80.30 | 8481.80.90 |
| 8481.90.30 | 8503.00.65 | 8523.29.50 | 8536.90.60 | 8536.90.85 |
| 8538.90.81 | 8708.50.65 | 8708.50.91 | 8708.70.60 | 8708.91.75 |
| 8708.92.75 | 8708.99.81 | 8716.90.50 | 9003.90.00 | 9113.10.00 |
| 9113.20.60 |
*This subheading is already ineligible for GSP when imported from another country, so its addition for Argentina does not result in a change to the SPI for this subheading from “A” to “A*.”
The Gambia, Swaziland reinstated into AGOA. The 2018 HTS implements a recent presidential proclamation that reinstated The Gambia and Swaziland as AGOA beneficiaries (see 1712260010). Both countries are added to the list of eligible sub-Saharan beneficiaries at General Note 16(a).
Changes to Oman FTA Rules of Origin
The 2018 HTS includes some changes to rules of origin under the U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement that take retroactive effect starting Feb. 1, 2017. Tariff shift rules are amended for several apparel subheadings in chapters 61, 62 and 63, as well as for sanitary towels, tampons and diapers of heading 9619.
New and Amended Statistical Suffixes
In the 2018 basic addition, the ITC is adding new statistical suffixes and amending others to correct technical errors, it said. Changes are as follows:
Organic lemons. Subheading 0805.50.20 for lemons is broken out into a new statistical suffix for certified organic lemons (0805.50.2010) and “other” (i.e., non-organic) lemons (0805.50.2050).
Radium. The statistical suffix for certain radioactive elements and isotopes at subheading 2844.40.0021 is amended so it now refers to Radium-226, rather than Radium-266.
Desulfurization reagents. New statistical suffix 3824.99.9286 is created for other “mixtures of a kind containing magnesium used as a desulfurization reagent.” Former statistical suffix 3824.99.9295, which formerly covered other chemical products and preparations not elsewhere specified, is renumbered 3824.99.9297.
Gift wrap ribbons and bows. The unit of measure for propylene strip put up in packaging for use as decorative or gift-wrapping ribbon under subheading 3920.20.0015 is changed from “X” to “kg.” Similarly, the unit of measure is changed to “kg” for “bows and similar products for decorative purposes including gift-packaging and the like” under subheading 3926.40.0010.
Cathode ray aperture masks. Statistical suffix 7209.18.2510 for flat-rolled steel in coils “of a kind for use in making aperture masks for cathode-ray tube video displays” is eliminated. The subheading for “other” non-annealed plate of a thickness less than 0.361mm is renumbered 7209.18.2585.
Diamond rotary rock drill bits. Former statistical suffix 8207.19.6060 for rotary rock drill bits, core bits and reamers is further broken out into new statistical suffixes 8207.19.6065 for bits with a working part of diamonds, and 8207.19.6070 for “other” such bits.
Water-jet cutting machines. The unit of quantity “No.” is added to subheading 8456.50.0000 for water-jet cutting machines.
Automotive maintenance machines. Subheading 8479.89.8460 is corrected so it now refers to “automotive maintenance machines,” instead of automotive maintenance equipment.
Parts for antennas. In a technical correction, the duty rate is lowered to 1.5% for subheading 8529.10.91, which covers parts for antennas suitable for use with apparatus of headings 8525 to 8528. The duty rate had previously been listed at 2.2%.
Magnesium anodes. New statistical suffix 8543.30.9040 is created for magnesium anodes for electroplating, electrolysis or electrophoresis, except for those used for the manufacture of printed circuits. Subheading 8543.30.9000, which previously covered all such machines when not used to make printed circuits, is renumbered as 8543.90.9080.
Metal cribs, beds and children’s enclosures. Subheadings 9403.20.0016 and 9403.20.0017, which cover metal cribs and metal toddler beds, bassinets, cradles, play yards and other enclosures, respectively, are amended so the unit of quantity is now “No.” instead of “X.”
Foldable metal mattress bases. New statistical suffix 9403.20.0045 is created for metal household foldable mattress foundations with legs, whether or not adjustable. Old subheadings 9403.20.0019 and 9403.20.0022, which covered adjustable and non-adjustable mattress bases, respectively, are renumbered 9403.20.0035 and 9403.20.0040, and text is added to each to clarify that they cover only non-foldable mattress bases.
The statistical suffix for non-household metal boltless steel shelving prepackaged for sale is renumbered from 9403.20.0025 to 9403.20.0075, and residual categories for other metal counters and shelves and other non-household metal furniture are renumbered as 9403.20.0080 and 9403.20.0090, respectively.
Collector’s coins over 250 years old. Previous subheadings 9705.00.0030 and 9705.00.0060 for gold and “other” numismatic collector’s coins are further broken out into new statistical suffixes 9705.00.0010 and 9705.00.0040 for coins older than 250 years, of gold and “other,” and 9705.00.0050 and 9705.00.0065 for “other” coins (i.e., less than 250 years old), of gold and “other.”
U.S. goods returned. New statistical breakouts are added to subheading 9801.00.10 for U.S. goods returned without being advanced in value or improved. The new suffixes cover goods returned of heading 8702 (9801.00.1064) and goods returned of heading 8704 (9801.00.1066). The residual category for “other” goods returned of chapter 87 is changed to 9801.00.1074.
New Duty-Free Pharmaceutical Subheadings
The ITC is adding the SPI “K” to subheading 2843.29.01 (“other” silver compounds, i.e., not nitrate) and subheading 3907.99.50 (other polyesters, not unsaturated, in primary forms) to denote that they qualify for duty-free treatment under the Agreement on Trade in Pharmaceutical Products.
Duty-Free Treatment Restored for Some Apparel
The ITC is correcting two errors in previous editions of the HTS that omitted duty-free treatment under certain free trade agreements for some apparel. Subheading 6202.93.55 for “other” anoraks of man-made fibers is amended so it now lists 15 free trade agreements that confer duty-free treatment. None were previously listed. Similarly, subheading 6211.43.10 for certain “other” garments of man made-fibers is amended so it now lists 15 free trade agreements that confer duty-free treatment. Previously it listed only the Oman FTA.