New Set of Amendments to the Harmonized System of Explanatory Notes (Part I)
The World Customs Organization (WCO) has issued an amending supplement (No. 4 dated August 2003) to the Harmonized System Explanatory Notes (ENs). (Although not binding on U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the ENs are followed by CBP whenever possible.)
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(This is Part I of a multi-part series of summaries on this amending supplement. See future issues of ITT for additional summaries.)
The following outline these amendments to the ENs:
1. Waffles and wafers in HS 1905
Amends the description of waffles and wafers in the ENs of HS 1905 by removing the following requirement: "the water content must be 10% or less by weight of the finished product."
2. Granite in HS 25.16
Amends the description of granite in the ENs of HS 25.16 in order to change the spelling of "feldspar"(which had previously been spelled "felspar").
3. Distinction between compounds of Chapter 28 and those of Chapter 29
Amends the General section of Chapter 29 in order to add a new paragraph under "(B) Distinction Between the Compounds of Chapter 28 and Those of Chapter 29." This new paragraph states that organic compounds of precious metals, radioactive elements, isotopes, etc. listed in Part (B) of the General Explanatory Note to Chapter 28 are excluded from Chapter 29.
4. Certain heterocyclic compounds in Subchapter X
Amends the "General" section of Subchapter X to add a paragraph to the end of "(C) Other More Complex Heterocyclic Compounds," which concerns the number of heterocyclic rings in certain compounds for the purposes of HS 2932 and HS 2934.
5. Sulphonamides in HS 2935
Amends the ENs to HS 2935 by revising and expanding the description and general formula of sulphonamides. In addition, the existing list of certain suphonamides is amended by adding a new "(6) sildenafil citrate." This results in the renumbering of the current (6) through (11) as (7) through (12).
6. Metreleptin in HS 2937
Amends (V)(a) in the EN to HS 2937 by adding the phrase "Metreleptin (INN), an analogue of leptin, is the recombinant methionyl derivative of human leptin."
(See ITT's Online Archives or 06/13/03 news, 03061330, for the final part of BP's summary of the February 2003 amendments to the ENs)
Information about the Harmonized System is available on the WCO's Web site at http://www.wcoomd.org/ie/En/Topics_Issues/topics_issues.html
EN amendments available at
http://www.wcoomd.org/ie/En/Topics_Issues/HarmonizedSystem/ENHS31E.pdf.