U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a memorandum announcing temporary visa procedures for textile shipments associated with Haiti HOPE claims.
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 Census Bureau has posted to its Web site the January 2010 issue of its Automated Export System Newsletter. Highlights include:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a notice revising the date for the April 2010 Customs Broker License Examination. According to CBP, the exam will now be held on Wednesday, April 7, 2010.
The Census Bureau recently posted its list of Harmonized Tariff Schedule numbers that are invalid for use in the Automated Export System as of January 1, 2010.
In Outer Circle Productsv U.S., the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuitreversed the Court of International Trade, ruling that bottle and jug wraps are properly classified as "table, kitchenwareof plastics, other" under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 3924.10.50 at 3.4 percent ad valorem and not as "bottle caseswith outer surface of sheeting of plastic or of textile materials, other" under subheading 4202.92.90, at 19.3 percent ad valorem.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a notice entitled Notice of Examination: April 2010 Customs Broker License Examination, which announces that the next customs broker license exam will be held on Monday, April 5, 2010.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has received a petition submitted under 19 USC 1516 on behalf of a domestic party, the National Candle Association, requesting reclassification under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of certain wickless wax objects.
According to a January 4, 2010 Bureau of Census Automated Export System (AES) broadcast, effective immediately, the Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) tables in AES have been updated to accept the changes to the 2010 codes.
President Obama has issued Proclamation 8467 in order to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule's list of Generalized System of Preferences countries for 2010, extend the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Area tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for certain agricultural products of Israel another year, implement rule of origin and other technical corrections for four free trade agreements, etc.
The International Trade Commission has posted to its Web site the 2010 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S., which is effective January 1, 2010.