The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Executive announced the country-specific in-quota allocations under the tariff-rate quotas on imported raw cane sugar, refined and specialty sugar and sugar-containing products for Fiscal Year 2013 (Oct. 1, 2012 through Sept. 30, 2013). Tariff-rate quotas allow countries to export specified quantities of a product to the U.S. at a relatively low tariff, but subject all imports of the product above a pre-determined threshold to a higher tariff.
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 Court of International Trade ruled that CBP correctly classified plaintiff Telebrands Corporation’s PedEgg foot callus remover as other cutlery rather than a pedicure set. Although the device includes both a blade and emery pads to remove excess skin, the PedEgg is not a set because it is a single instrument, CIT said.
CBP issued a CSMS message announcing the issuance of Harmonized System Update 1208 on changes to the 2012 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. This update contains 27,420 ABI records and 4,835 harmonized tariff records. The changes were made to adjust the Cotton Board’s supplemental assessment on imports. Adjustments required by the authentication of the 2012 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) are included. 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 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is issuing a final rule lifting the trade restrictions on importing bigeye tuna from Bolivia and Georgia, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Aug. 29. The action implements a recommendation from the 2011 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. It also changes the regulations containing species-specific harmonized tariff codes to be consistent with recent changes adopted by the U.S. International Trade Commission, effective Sept. 28. The earlier prohibited imports were to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated catches of tuna by large-scale Bolivian and Georgian longline vessels. At its 2011 annual meeting, ICCAT decided Bolivia and Georgia vessels were no longer diminishing the effectiveness of conservation and management measures.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is amending the Cotton Board Rules and Regulations by increasing the value assigned to imported cotton for calculating supplemental assessments collected for use by the Cotton Research and Promotion Program. The current total assessment on imported cotton is $0.012665 per kilogram of imported cotton. The new total assessment, effective Sept. 27, is $0.014109 per kilogram, an increase of $0.001444 per kilogram. According to AMS, this increase reflects the increase in the average weighted price of Upland Cotton Received by U.S. Farmers during the period January through December 2011. AMS also changed, effective Sept. 27, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule statistical reporting numbers that were amended since the last assessment adjustment.
CBP posted an updated version of its notice announcing that the next customs broker license exam will be on Wednesday, Oct. 3.
The Foreign Agricultural Service announced a fee of $170 to be charged for the 2013 tariff-rate quota (TRQ) year for each license issued to a person or firm by the U.S. Department of Agriculture authorizing the importation of certain dairy articles, which are subject to tariff-rate quotas set forth in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).
In the Aug. 15 issue of the CBP Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 34), CBP published a notices that propose to revoke rulings and similar treatment regarding the tariff classification of goods under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 9801.00.25.
CBP posted documents on changes to the Customs and Trade Interface Requirements (CATAIR) Appendix C, which lists Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) units of measure abbreviations and their meanings. The CATAIR Appendix C changes are (here). CATAIR Appendix C is available (here).
The International Trade Commission is asking for input on the probable economic effect of a free trade agreement with members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), including Canada and Mexico, for use in its newly initiated investigation entitled “U.S.-Trans-Pacific Partnership Free Trade Agreement Including Canada and Mexico: Advice on the Probable Economic Effect of Providing Duty-Free Treatment for Imports.” The investigation was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative in a July 19 letter asking ITC to provide advice concerning the probable economic effect of a U.S. free trade agreement with Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. The ITC scheduled a public hearing Sept. 12 in Washington, DC. Comments are due Sept. 19.