International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 15-19 in case they were missed.
Latest Harmonized System updates
The World Customs Organization Permanent Technical Committee has approved a draft of e-commerce technical specifications, and the package will next face review with the Policy Commission in June and the WCO Council soon after, said Ana Hinojosa, WCO director-Compliance and Facilitation. Hinojosa spoke via video at the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America's annual conference on April 17. There are also some discussions on e-commerce planned with the World Trade Organization, she said. "They have invited us to participate in some of their workshops and we're very interested in us to engage in their process as well," she said. "We're hopeful that those conversations will be fruitful and something will come out of that."
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1906 on April 17, containing 414 Automated Broker Interface records and 85 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message. The update includes adjustments required by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's announcement of new exemptions from Section 301 tariffs on China (see 1904170038). Modifications required by the verification of the 2019 HTS are included as well.
The International Trade Commission is accepting proposals for changes to the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System tariff schedule for potential adoption in 2027, it said in a notice. The proposals will be reviewed by the ITC, CBP and the Census Bureau, and will be published for further comment, prior to potential submission to the relevant WCO committees by November 2022 for final WCO approval by June 2024. Proposals are due to the ITC by March 1, 2020.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1905 on April 1, containing 792 Automated Broker Interface records and 176 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message. Included in the update are the remaining HTS codes for composite wood products "flagged with an EP7 ([Toxic Substances Control Act] certification 'may be required’) code," CBP said. Modifications required by the verification of the 2019 HTS are included as well.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 25-29 in case they were missed.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1904 on March 25, containing 1,015 Automated Broker Interface records and 194 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message. The update includes adjustments required by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's announcement of new exemptions from Section 301 tariffs on China (see 1903210048). Also included in the update are "some, not all, of the associated HTS codes for composite wood products, flagged with an EP7 (TSCA certification 'may be required’) code," CBP said. Modifications required by the verification of the 2019 HTS are included as well.
Supply chain location changes are difficult and take time, so companies are turning to other ways to avoid or reduce Sections 301 and 232 tariffs, experts said at a March 7 Georgetown Law International Trade Update (see 1903070033) panel on the Trump administration and the supply chain. For steel and aluminum imports, there's been "a big uptake in foreign-trade zones," said Lynlee Brown, a senior manager at Ernst & Young. With Section 301, companies are using drawback, and after a recent CMS message, they may be taking advantage more often of substitution drawback. But the best bang for the buck, Brown said, is in customs valuation. Companies are making changes there not only because of Section 301, but also because of the administration's tax reform.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1903 on March 6, containing 67 Automated Broker Interface records and 13 harmonized tariff records, it said in a CSMS message. "Changes made include those mandated by a final rule, published by the Agricultural Marketing Service, terminating the raspberry assessment," it said. The changes were effective Feb. 21 (see 1902190023).
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Feb. 25 - March 1 in case they were missed.