A group of U.S. companies filed petitions July 2 requesting antidumping duties on oil country tubular goods (OCTG) from India, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine and Vietnam and countervailing duties on oil country tubular goods from India and Turkey, alleging unfairly traded imports are injuring domestic industry. U.S. Steel, Vallourec Star, TMK IPSCO, Energex, Northwest Pipe Company, Tejas Tubular Products, Welded Tube Company, Boomerang Tube, and Maverick Tube Corporation alleged that undersold and illegally subsidized imports from those countries are causing injury to U.S. industry.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is a reference manual that provides duty rates for almost every item that exists. It is a system of classifying and taxing all goods imported into the United States. The HTS is based on the international Harmonized System, which is a global standard for naming and describing trade products, and consists of a hierarchical structure that assigns a specific code and rate to each type of merchandise for duty, quota, and statistical purposes. The HTS was made effective on January 1, 1989, replacing the former Tariff Schedules of the United States. It is maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission, but the Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the HTS.
The International Trade Commission posted its revised version of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule July 2, reflecting Generalized System of Preferences and other changes from proclamation 8997 (see 13070202), as well as technical amendments and new statistical suffixes for several subheadings. HTS 2013 Revision 1 also implements the U.S. Trade Representative’s March determination that Cote d’Ivoire qualifies for African Growth and Opportunity Act textile and apparel benefits (see 13031821). Most of the changes (here) are effective July 1.
CBP said its Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1303 was created July 1, containing 1,303 ABI records and 190 harmonized tariff records. The update contains modifications made as a result of the June 27 Presidential Proclamation 8997, To Modify Duty-Free Treatment to the Generalized System of Preferences and for Other Purposes (see 13070202). It said changes also include those mandated by the 484 F Committee, Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, effective July 1. Adjustments required by the verification of the 2013 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) are also included, CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.
President Obama published Proclamation 8997 and its related annexes in the Federal Register July 2, making changes to the Generalized System of Preferences program, including suspension of eligibility for Bangladesh, as well as other minor changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Revocation for Bangladesh is effective Sept. 3. All other changes to the HTS, which include GSP changes from the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2012 annual review, as well as amendments to tariff provisions in Chapter 85 and a technical change to Chapter 99, are effective July 1.
Three domestic steel threaded rod producers filed petitions June 27 requesting the imposition of antidumping duties on imports of steel threaded rod from Thailand (A-533-855), and both antidumping and countervailing duties on steel threaded rod from India (A-549-831 / C-533-856). All-America Threaded Products, Bay Standard Manufacturing, and Vulcan Threaded Products allege that rapidly growing imports of steel threaded rod from Thailand and India are underselling U.S. industry, and pushing out domestic producers.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is amending the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations to decrease the value assigned to imported cotton for the purposes of calculating supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program, according to a Federal Register notice scheduled for July 2. AMS also is changing two Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) statistical reporting numbers that were amended since the last assessment adjustment in 2012.
Beta carotene tablets imported by Roche Vitamins are correctly classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule as provitamins, said the Court of International Trade, ruling against CBP’s proposed classification as food preparations. The case had been subject to an earlier ruling in 2010, where the court found factual disputes still existed as to the use of the tablets, and ordered a trial. After trial, CIT found the tablets are predominantly used as a source of provitamin A.
The Court of International Trade refused to rule in a tariff classification case on heat-sensitive glass bulbs, finding factual disputes prevented them from judging the legal merits of either party’s arguments. At issue was a CBP classification of Tyco Fire Products’ glass bulbs, which are filled with a chemical that causes them to explode when heated. CBP had classified them as articles of glass, but Tyco said the bulbs were parts of fire sprinkler systems and water heaters, and should be classified as such. CIT said it couldn’t rule on the question, because the parties hadn’t submitted enough evidence for the court to consider (1) whether the glass or the chemical gave the bulbs their essential character, and (2) whether the bulbs were mainly used in Tyco’s asserted applications.
Test takers sitting for the October customs broker license exam will have an additional half hour to complete the exam, said CBP in a notice announcing the date of the exam. The October exam, scheduled for Oct. 7, will allow four and a half hours for completion, the notice said. At least since the April 1998 exam -- the earliest exam CBP makes available that includes a cover sheet with instructions -- the agency has allowed testers four hours.
CBP posted the public comments filed with the agency in response to a recent proposed test to determine the tariff classification of footwear with soles of textile material. CBP released its proposed test method administering Harmonized Tariff Schedule Chapter 64, additional note 5 in the March 27 Customs Bulletin (see 13032615). The comments were posted on the agency's Freedom of Information Act library in the "Significant Records of Interest" section. CBP said it is currently reviewing the comments and "plans to prepare a decision to establish how CBP will administer Note 5" and will publish its decision in the Customs Bulletin. All of the comments are (here).