U.S. importers made smartphone shipments to the U.S. a nearly $60 billion business in 2021, with the highest yearly dollar volume since 2007, when handsets began to be tracked in Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 8517.12.00, according to Census Bureau data recently accessed through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb portal. Inflationary trends from supply chain woes and semiconductor shortages, plus a higher mix of 5G-enabled handsets with higher average value, likely fueled the record-high dollar volume.
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.
A flexible packaging material imported by Amcor Flexibles Kreuzlingen is classifiable as "other" backed aluminum foil, rather than aluminum foil decorated with a pattern or design, the Court of International Trade said in a Feb. 22 decision. Judge Gary Katzmann said that since the text on the foil is communicative text and not a pattern, Amcor's suggested alternative Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading was the proper one, though he rejected the HTS heading most preferred by Amcor.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
In January, some technical fixes had to be made to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule "to conform to amendments adopted by the World Customs Organization" (see 211227003). To now fix a technical error that occurred with that and to ensure that those "amendments do not extend the scope of the additional duties in the Section 301 investigation," the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued a notice about two technical modifications to the HTS notes that implement the additional duties. The modifications are effective as of Jan. 27.
Arent Fox lawyers said a disclosure bill aimed at large fashion retailers and manufacturers may not pass in the New York statehouse, but it's making lots of people in the industry nervous (see 2201200046). "Even if this bill doesn't pass, there's going to be others in the future," Angela Santos said.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2206 Feb. 15, containing 186 Automated Broker Interface records and 45 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Feb. 7-13:
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on barium chloride from India (A-533-908/C-533-909). Both the AD and CV duty investigations cover entries Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2021.
The Commerce Department issued Federal Register notices on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on sodium nitrite from India (A-533-906/C-533-907) and Russia (A-821-836/C-821-837). The agency will determine whether imports of sodium nitrite are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value or are illegally subsidized.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2205 Feb. 4, containing 95 Automated Broker Interface records and 25 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message. The HSU involves changes to Section 201 safeguards on solar cells (see 2202040003).