Utah Refractories Corp. filed a petition requesting antidumping duties on silica refractory bricks and other shapes from China (A-570-988), alleging that the merchandise is being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. According to the petition, Chinese silica bricks are being dumped in the U.S. at rates of 190 percent to 467 percent.
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.
Telebrands appealed the Court of International Trade’s ruling that affirmed CBP’s Harmonized Tariff Schedule classification of its PedEgg foot callus remover as other cutlery rather than a pedicure set, according to a Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit docketing notice. CIT said in a Sept. 6 opinion that the PedEgg is not a set because it is a single instrument, even though the device includes both a blade and emery pads to remove excess skin.
Presidential Proclamation 8894 -- “To Implement the United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement and for Other Purposes” -- was published in the Federal Register of Nov. 5. The proclamation implements the provisions of the Panama TPA in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule; and corrects some HTS provisions on tariff treatment for goods including those subject to the Korea, Peru, and Colombia FTA. No effective date for some corrections was given in the change record for the Oct. 31 HTS update, but an ITC spokeswoman said those changes were effective Oct. 31.
CBP issued a CSMS message announcing the issuance of Harmonized System Update 1209 on changes to the 2012 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. This update contains 23,570 ABI records and 120,404 harmonized tariff records. The changes were made to implement the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Act and for other reasons. The modified records are currently available to all ABI participants and can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Contact Jennifer Keeling via email at Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov for all other questions.
The International Trade Administration is seeking comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the U.S. during the period Jan. 1 through June 30, 2012. Comments are due by Dec. 6.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements issued the interim procedures it will follow in implementing certain provisions of the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, which provides for CITA consideration of requests to modify the list of fibers, yarns, or fabrics not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the U.S. A textile or apparel good imported into the U.S. containing such listed fibers, yarns, or fabrics will be treated as if it is an originating good for purposes of Colombia TPA rules of origin, regardless of the actual origin of those inputs.
CBP has moved too slowly in providing guidance on changes to textile-bottomed footwear classification in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) from last year, a group of footwear trade associations said in a Oct. 26 letter to CBP Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar. The trade associations are American Apparel & Footwear Association, the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, Outdoor Industry Association and Rubber & Plastics Footwear Manufacturers Association.
The International Trade Commission posted Revision 1 to Supplement 1 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to implement the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, and correct and modify other tariff provisions. The new HTS is effective Oct. 31. The proclamation and annexes have not been published yet, so effective dates for many of the revisions are unknown.
President Barack Obama issued a proclamation Oct. 30 formally implementing the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement. The government had previously said the agreement would take effect Oct. 31. (See ITT's Online Archives 12102225). International Trade Commission Publication 4349, which will detail changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule authorized by the President’s proclamation, has not yet been released. International Trade Today will provide a detailed summary of the changes upon the Publication’s availability. The proclamation did, however, delegate authority for textile and apparel safeguard and commercial availability provisions of the U.S.-Panama TPA, and previewed the HTS changes that will be coming in ITC Publication 4349.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements outlined the procedures it will follow in considering requests to impose U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement safeguard actions (in the form of higher duty rates) on textile and/or apparel products from Colombia. The interim rule is effective Oct. 26, but CITA is asking for comments on the procedures by Nov. 26.