The broadest set of changes to tariff classification in five years is set to take effect toward the end of January, as the latest set of amendments to the World Customs Organization's Harmonized System tariff nomenclature is implemented in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. Announced by a presidential proclamation published Dec. 28, the changes are slated to take effect 30 days after that, on Jan. 27 (see 2112270032). This is the first part of International Trade Today's multi-part summary, covering fish and seafood products and vegetable products of Chapters 1-14 of the HTS.
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 International Trade Commission completed changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to reflect the removal of Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali from the African Growth and Opportunity Act preferences program, a commission spokesperson said Jan. 5. The ITC hadn’t initially deleted the countries from Chapter 98 provisions in AGOA (see 2201040066), despite instructions in a recent presidential proclamation (see 2112230046). “The changes have been completed and are reflected in the change record,” the spokesperson said.
The International Trade Commission posted the 2022 Preliminary Edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The new HTS does not include the five-year World Customs Organization Harmonized System update, which will take effect toward the end of January at the end of a 30-day period following their proclamation Dec. 27 (see 2112270032). It does, however, implement annual changes to 10-digit "statistical" provisions of the tariff schedule, as well as the removal of Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from the African Growth and Opportunity Act preferences program and a new tariff-rate quota system for iron and steel and aluminum from the EU. These changes took effect Jan. 1.
A U.S. manufacturer seeks the imposition of new antidumping and countervailing duties on steel nails from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey, as well as new CV duties on steel nails from Oman, it said in petitions filed with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission Dec. 30. 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.
A domestic producer filed a petition Dec. 29 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission requesting new antidumping duties on lemon juice from Brazil and South Africa. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD duty investigations. Ventura Coastal requested the investigation.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2119 Dec. 28, containing 284 ABI records and 71 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message. The update implements a tariff-rate quota for steel and aluminum products from the European Union as part of an agreement to remove Section 232 tariffs on goods from the EU (see 2112280036 and 2112290029). CBP said it also created HSU 2118 Dec. 27, with 140 ABI records and 70 HTS records. The update "was created to rectify Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2116 and 2117," CBP said in a CSMS message Dec. 28 (see 2112280039).
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2117 Dec. 23, containing 2,981 ABI records and 510 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message late in the afternoon Dec. 27. CBP said it also created HSU 2116 on Dec. 20, with 103 ABI records and 22 HTS records. "Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2116 and 2117 contained records that should not have been included in the update," CBP said. "A new Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2118 was ran today and that information will be available tomorrow."
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Dec. 20-26:
Changes to the U.S. tariff schedule that implement an update to the World Customs Organization's Harmonized System tariff nomenclature (see 2112230046) are set to take effect Jan. 27, according to the presidential proclamation set for publication in the Federal Register Dec. 28. The full list of coming changes, along with descriptions, is in a newly released report from the International Trade Commission on modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S.