The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice in order to make several technical corrections to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. (HTS). According to the USTR, these modifications correct inadvertent omissions or errors in various Presidential Proclamations.
According to Presidential Proclamation 7758, which was issued on March 1, 2004, as well as U.S. governmental sources, Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) duty free treatment will terminate for goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption, on or after May 1, 2004 from the following seven countries:
U.S. government sources state that the International Trade Commission (ITC) is expected to soon post to its Web site Revision 1 of its electronic 2004 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. (HTS). Sources state that the ITC's goal is to have Revision 1 posted by mid-April 2004.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an ABI administrative message announcing that its most recent Harmonized System (HS) update contains:
CNN.com reports that the Bush Administration will soon impose economic sanctions against Syria under the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, adding that diplomatic penalties are unlikely to be imposed. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/19/03 news, 03121920, for BP summary of the Syria Act.) (CNN.com Pub 03/10/04, available at http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/03/10/us.syria/index.html)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted a notice to its Web site stating that effective February 25, 2004, hand-loomed fabrics of the cottage industry, hand-made cottage industry products made of hand loomed fabrics and traditional handicraft textile products that are entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after February 25, 2004 are eligible for Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) duty-free treatment provided that proper requirements are met.
On March 4, 2004, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 1047, the "Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2003."
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has inadvertently published a notice containing erroneously selected and organized 10-month data on the Competitive Need Limitations (CNLs) under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.
According to a press release issued by the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on March 4, 2004, the Senate passed its version of the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2003.
President Bush has issued Proclamation 7758 in order to delete ten countries from, and add one country to, the list of Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) beneficiary developing countries.