U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued an interim rule, effective June 13, 2008, which amended Subpart J of 19 CFR Part 10 as well as Parts 24, 162, 163, and 178 for the preferential tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA).1
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 recently enacted 2008 Farm Bill (Public Law 110-246) contains provisions that amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 USC 3371 et seq.) to require a new import declaration for plants and plant products.
During the August 7, 2008 meeting of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC), CBP officials discussed the potential impact on the trade of the new Lacey Act plant and plant product import declaration requirements1 that were recently enacted as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.
The International Trade Administration has made a final affirmative antidumping duty determination that steel wire garment hangers from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.
The U.S. Trade Representative has issued a Federal Register notice stating that the amendments made by Proclamation 82131 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) for certain Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement apparel are effective for goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after August 15, 2008.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has adopted as final, with some changes, its interim rule that amended 19 CFR to implement the preferential tariff treatment and other customs-related provisions of the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (MFTA) as it received no comments on the interim rule. The final rule is effective September 4, 2008.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a CSMS message announcing recent changes to the 2008 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HS Update No. 0804), which include the following:
The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a proposed rule to amend 7 CFR Part 1205 to increase the tax on imported cotton and the cotton content of imported products (unless excluded) under the Cotton Research and Promotion Program.
The Census Bureau has posted to its Web site the July 2008 issue of its AES Newsletter.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a proposed rule which would amend its regulations in order to use uniform tariff shift and other rules for CBP determinations of the country of origin of imported merchandise.