The International Trade Commission on March 17 published Revision 1 to the Basic Edition of the 2021 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. This latest edition implements the four-month suspension of Section 301 tariffs on goods from the European Union imposed as part of the Airbus subsidy dispute at the World Trade Organization (see 2103050036).
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 following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of March 15-21:
The International Trade Commission released the 2021 Basic Edition of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule March 15. The new edition, which follows three “preliminary” updates issued earlier this year, implements the recently announced four-month pause on Section 301 tariffs on goods from the United Kingdom, effective March 4 (see 2103040043). It also adds a new provision on the USMCA tariff-rate quota for sugar-containing products from Canada. The four-month suspension of Section 301 tariffs on all European Union goods, which took effect March 11 (see 2103120047), is not implemented in this edition.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced its Core PGA Message Set is now being fully enforced in ACE. “Users must submit message set data for regulated products like plants, plant products, animal products, and live dog imports or their entry will reject,” it said by email March 15. APHIS listed a “multitude” of resources that users may use as references: the APHIS ACE website, the APHIS Core Implementation Guide, the APHIS Supplemental Trade Guide, APHIS Core Message Set webinars, and its Harmonized Tariff Schedule flags. “Brokers, filers and importers may also contact the APHIS Core Message Set Help Desk at 1-833-481-2102, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. to get assistance with their entry, or they can submit APHIS Core Message Set questions by e-mail to ace.itds@usda.gov,” APHIS said. The agency had been taking a soft enforcement approach since January (see 2101210035).
Imports of major high-demand consumer tech goods waned somewhat in January from December, but most categories remained far ahead of their January 2020 volume, according to Census Bureau trade statistics accessed March 9 through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb tool. It’s unclear whether the retreat in January shipments in major Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) tech categories was the result of global semiconductor shortages that impeded supply or were perhaps the first signs that torrid COVID-19 pandemic-era consumer demand for home connectivity and entertainment tools evident through most of 2020 was beginning to run its course.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will extend exclusions on goods used to treat COVID-19 from the Section 301 tariffs on goods from China, the USTR said in a notice on its website. The exclusions were previously set to expire at the end of March (see 2012230076).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The Coalition of American Manufacturers of Mobile Access Equipment seeks the imposition of new antidumping and countervailing duties on mobile access equipment from China, it said in a petition filed with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission Feb. 25. 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. The coalition consists of JLG Industries, Inc. and Terex Corporation.
CBP created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2102 on March 1, containing 1,644 Automated Broker Interface records and 269 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records, it said in a CSMS message. The changes reflect adjustments related to the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Act and the extension of trade remedies on residential washers and washer parts (see 2101150049). They also reflect the discontinuation of Agricultural Marketing Service promotion order assessments on frozen mangoes, as announced by an AMS final rule Feb. 24