On January 15, 2008, the International Trade Commission released the public version of its report requested by the U.S. Trade Representative containing advice on the probable economic effect of possible modifications to the list of articles eligible for duty-free treatment under Generalized System of Preferences as part of the 2007 GSP Annual Review.
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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has made available on its Web site a large group of documents related to its Focused Assessment Program (FAP).
The Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), as amended by the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA), is scheduled to expire on February 29, 2008, unless extended beforehand.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing that its Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is conducting a child labor review in the production of certain hand-loomed or hand-hooked carpets and certain other textile floor coverings eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences.
The Office of Textiles and Apparel has posted its monthly monitoring data for certain apparel products imported from Vietnam for November 2007.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice proposing modifications to aspects of the standard it utilizes to test certain glassware articles to ascertain whether they are ''pressed and toughened (specially tempered)'' for tariff classification purposes under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).
The Census Bureau has posted to its Web site a list of 180 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers that are invalid for use in reporting exports (either via the Automated Export System (AES) or on a paper Shipper's Export Declaration (SED)) as of January 1, 2008.
On December 20, 2007, President Bush issued Proclamation 8213 in order to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for certain woven apparel of Chapter 62 imported from a Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) country.
President Bush has issued Proclamation 8214 which amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule rules of origin for the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement (UCFTA) and the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SFTA) effective February 7, 20081.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a proposed rule that would amend its regulations at 19 CFR Parts 4, 12, 18, 101, 103, 113, 122, 123, 141, 143, 149 and 192 to require Security Filing (SF) information from importers and additional information from carriers (10+2) for vessel (maritime) cargo before it is brought into the U.S.