CBP Bulletin Notice on the 51st Session of the WCO HSC

In the Jan. 30 issue of the CBP Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 6), CBP issued a notice detailing the dates and draft agenda for the 50th Session of the World Customs Organization's Harmonized System Committee, which will meet in Brussels on March 6-15.

(Among other things, the HSC (1) issues classification decisions on the interpretation of the Harmonized System (HS) in the form of published tariff classification opinions or amendments to the Explanatory Notes, and (2) considers amendments to the legal text of the HS.)

The draft list of agenda items includes (partial list):

Report by the Secretariat. (partial list):

• Position regarding Contracting Parties to the HS Convention and related matters and progress report on the implementation of HS 2012
• Approval of decisions taken by the Harmonized System Committee at its 50th Session

General questions. (partial list):

• Future of the Harmonized System
• Classification Advice provided by the Secretariat (Request by Switzerland)
• Possible amendment of Article 8 of the HS Convention with a view to removing the Council from its purely administrative role with regard to HS reservations, and to making the fast-track procedure the default reservation procedure
• New version of the HS Commodity Database: Electronic version of the HS Alphabetical Index and the Classification Decisions taken by the Harmonized System Committee.

Classification opinions. Amendments to the Compendium of Classification Opinions to reflect the decision to classify (partial list):

• “HALVA Sesame Snack with Honey” in subheading 1704.90
• A dog collar named “Kiltix®” in heading 38.08 (subheading 3808.91)
• Three products referred to as “water bottles for bicycles” (Products 1, 2 and 3) in heading 39.24 (subheading 3924.90)
• Terracotta cladding elements in heading 69.07 (subheading 6907.90)

Further studies. (partial list):

• Classification of “cobalt manganese nickel hydroxide (CoMnNi(OH)2)” used for lithium-ion batteries (Request by Japan)
• Possible amendments to the Explanatory Notes in respect of the term “roes”
• Classification of “Xanthan Gum” (Request by India)
• Classification of portable floor air conditioning units

New questions. (partial list):

• Classification of the product called “Vita hjertego’ Gul” (Request by Norway)
• Classification of peach pulp concentrate (Request by South Africa)
• Possible amendment of the HS in respect of certain categories of waste (Proposal by the Secretariat of Basel Convention)
• Classification of certain cabinets in unassembled form with or without apparatus to be housed therein (Request by the Secretariat)

Contact: Joan Jackson (with CBP) at (202) 325-0010 or Dan Sheperdson (with the International Trade Commission) at (202) 205-2077.)