The World Customs Organization published a list of changes in the upcoming 2022 version of the Harmonized System tariff nomenclature, it said in a press release. The 351 sets of amendments include 77 affecting tariff provisions for agriculture, food and tobacco, 58 in the chemical sector, 31 in the wood sector, 21 for textiles, 27 for base metals, 63 in the machinery, electrical and electronic goods sector, and 22 affecting the transport sector, the WCO said. The amendments were recommended by the WCO’s Harmonized System Committee in June, and took effect in January after a six-month period passed with no objections to the proposals by WCO member states (see 2001080064). The changes must be implemented in the tariff schedules of WCO members, including the U.S., by Jan. 1, 2022.
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 following is a selection of articles that appeared in International Trade Today in 2019 covering ruling letters. CBP frequently publishes rulings months after they are issued, so these articles are included based on the dates the articles were published, rather than the date the ruling letter was issued.
A domestic manufacturer filed petitions on Jan. 22 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping duties on difluoromethane (R-32) from China. Commerce will now decide whether to begin an AD duty investigation on the refrigerant. The investigation was requested by Arkema.
When the new 25 percent Section 232 tariffs go into effect on finished steel products, approximately $800 million in goods will be affected, according to International Trade Commission data for the last full year of imports. That does not include more than $100 million in imports from South Korea, Mexico and Canada that will be exempt from the new policy.
CBP is awaiting official guidance from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for how to handle goods from China that fall under the six extended Section 301 exclusions (see 1912190060), a CBP official said during a Jan. 23 conference call. While USTR extended those exclusions beyond the Dec. 28, 2019, expiration date, the Harmonized Tariff Schedule code for those exclusions, 9903.88.05, became unusable after that date. A Federal Register notice from USTR will be necessary, the official said.
The Agricultural Marketing Service is updating its table of marketing order fee assessment rates on importers of cattle, beef, veal and beef products. The agency issued a direct final rule Jan. 8 that incorporates into the table some recent changes the International Trade Commission has made to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. AMS subsequently issued a correction to some errors in that table. The new rate schedule takes effect Feb. 7.
The International Trade Commission on Jan. 21 issued Revision 1 to the 2020 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. This latest version includes updates needed to implement the latest set of exclusions from list 3 of Section 301 tariffs on products from China (see 2001020035). The new exclusions are listed in new U.S. Note 20(pp) to subchapter III of chapter 99. New subheading 9903.88.37 is created for products entering under the exclusions, and conforming changes are made to other provisions throughout subchapter III. The exclusions take retroactive effect as of Sept. 24, 2018, the date that the list 3 tariffs took effect.
A coalition of U.S. manufacturers seeks the imposition of new antidumping and countervailing duties on vertical shaft engines between 225 cc and 999 cc, and parts thereof, from China, it said in a petition filed with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission Jan. 15. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations, which could result in the imposition of permanent AD/CV duty orders and the assessment of AD and CV duties on importers.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2001 on Jan. 13, containing 10,121 Automated Broker Interface records and 2,123 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message. The update includes recently announced exclusions to the Section 301 tariffs (see 2001020035). Other changes were needed under the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the trade agreement with Japan (see 1912270025).
A domestic producer coalition filed petitions on Jan. 7 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping duty investigations on wood mouldings and millwork products from Brazil and China, and new countervailing duties on the same product from China. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations on wood mouldings and millwork that could eventually result in the assessment of AD/CV duties.