ITC Posts Revision 7 to Tariff Schedule; Changes Include India GSP Removal, Section 301 Changes

The International Trade Commission issued Revision 7 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The revised tariff schedule now reflects the removal of India from the Generalized System of Preferences program (see 1905310072), with the country removed from lists of GSP beneficiaries in General Note 4, and a bevy of subheadings for India removed from the list of country-product pairs ineligible for GSP because they exceeded Competitive Need Limitations. The new version also ends an exemption for India from Section 201 safeguards on solar cells and washing machines, because India is no longer considered a developing country that qualifies for the exemption. These changes took effect June 5.

The revised HTS also implements an additional set of exemptions for Section 301 tariffs in products from China under new subheading 9903.88.10, as well as in U.S. Note 20(m) to subchapter III of chapter 99 (see 1906030038). Confirming changes are made elsewhere in U.S. Note 20. Also, subheading 9903.88.09 and U.S. Note 20(l) to subchapter III of chapter 99 are amended to reflect the recent extension until June 15 of the deadline for products in list 3 of the Section 301 tariffs to enter at a 10% duty rate (see 1905310070). The delay only applies to goods on the water as of May 10.

Finally, temporary duty rates under the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill for three sets of products are corrected. The tariff rate for subheading 9902.09.49 is now 0.3% (from 0.4%); for subheading 9902.09.50, it’s now 4.9% (from 5.1%); and for subheading 9902.09.51, it’s now 4% (from 4.1%). Those changes take effect as of Oct. 13, 2018. And statistical note 3 to chapter 38 is amended to correct typos.