The Commerce Department Nov. 2 released a notice on its recently initiated antidumping duty investigations on thermal paper from Germany (A-428-850), Japan (A-588-880), South Korea (A-580-911) and Spain (A-469-824).
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.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
A set of changes to the Generalized System of Preferences will take effect Nov. 1 under a Presidential Proclamation issued on Oct. 30. Changes in the proclamation include the addition of fresh-cut roses to and removal of parboiled rice from the list of goods that are eligible for GSP, the U.S. Trade Representative said in a news release. The changes were reflected in an update to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule posted by the International Trade Commission. The proclamation also suspends GSP benefits for certain products of Thailand, effect Dec. 30. That is because of Thailand's "lack of sufficient progress providing the United States with equitable and reasonable market access for pork products," said the USTR.
Two domestic manufacturers filed a petition Oct. 27 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping duties on polyester textured yarn from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD duty investigations on polyester staple fiber from these four countries. Unifi Manufacturing, Inc. and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation, America requested the inquiry.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
President Donald Trump officially ended the Section 232 tariffs on aluminum from Canada through an Oct. 27 proclamation. The duty-free treatment applies retroactively to Sept. 1, as planned (see 2009150048), though reimposition of the tariffs remains possible, depending on import levels of Canadian aluminum. Any imports of aluminum subject to the tariffs into a foreign-trade zone before Sept. 1 under privileged foreign status will still be subject to the tariffs upon entry for consumption, Trump said. The harmonized tariff schedule number for aluminum from Canada subject to Section 232 tariffs expired on Oct. 27, CBP said in a CSMS message that day. The expired subheading is 9903.85.21.
The International Trade Commission updated the tariff schedule late Oct. 26 to restore an exemption for bifacial panels from safeguard duties on crystalline solar photovoltaic cells pursuant an order from the Court of International Trade. Revision 25 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States again adds U.S. note 18(c)(iii)(15), which provides for the exemption, to subchapter III of chapter 99. The provision had been removed in the prior HTS revision (see 2010260025).
CBP issued a CSMS message Oct. 26 announcing changes to the tariff schedule to implement a recent proclamation amending safeguard duties on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, including the elimination of an exemption for bifacial panels (see 2010130028). The announcement came despite a last-minute court order blocking the proclamation’s withdrawal of the bifacial panel exclusion. The CSMS message does not mention the court order. A CBP spokesperson said the agency "is in the process of issuing additional guidance on this subject." The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Justice Department didn’t comment.
The Commerce Department on Oct. 26 published a Federal Register notice on its recently initiated antidumping duty investigations on aluminum foil from Armenia (A-831-804), Brazil (A-351-856), Oman (A-523-815), Russia (A-821-828) and Turkey (A-489-844), and that same day released a notice on its recently initiated countervailing duty investigations on Oman (C-523-816) and Turkey (C-489-845).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture revised the appendices to its Dairy Tariff-Rate Quota Import Licensing Regulation for the 2020 tariff-rate quota year, it said in a notice released Oct. 23. USDA is making the changes to reflect the cumulative annual transfers from Appendix 1 to Appendix 2 for certain dairy product import licenses permanently surrendered by licensees or revoked by the Foreign Agricultural Service.