International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Oct. 19-23 in case they were missed.
The U.S. and Pakistan launched a joint action plan on Oct. 22 to boost trade and investment ties. The announcement of the plan coincides with Pakistani Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif’s visit to the White House on the same day.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Oct. 13-16 in case they were missed.
Nearly two dozen customs broker and importer associations and retail organizations banded together in recent days to press U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman to support the addition of travel goods to the Generalized System of Preferences. Industry petitions for those additions were due by Oct. 16 as part of USTR’s 2015 annual review for GSP (see 1508180027).
Protests claiming duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences during the recent lapse in the program should be denied, said CBP in a ruling that granted a protest from IAMGOLD on classification issues, but denied its GSP claims. Instead, importers seeking retroactive GSP treatment must request it during the 180-day period outlined by CBP in July (see 1507210023), said CBP in ruling HQ 264880.
The International Trade Commission recently posted the new version of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to its website (here). Revision 2 to the 2015 HTS reflects the results of the U.S. Trade Representative’s 2014 Generalized System of Preferences Review (see 1510010030), as implemented by Presidential Proclamation 9333 (here). The ITC also made several technical corrections to the HTS, including a restoration of duty-free entry for refined copper cathodes from Chile and a clarification of subheadings covering organic surfactants. All changes made in Revision 2 to the 2015 HTS took effect Oct. 1, said the ITC in its change record (here).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Oct. 7 issued a Federal Register notice (here) announcing the results of its 2014 Generalized System of Preferences review. A Presidential Proclamation that took effect Oct. 1 implemented the results of the review (here), including the removal of the Seychelles, Uruguay and Venezuela from GSP eligibility, the addition of five upland cotton products to the program, and new and revoked competitive need limitations (CNL) waivers (see 1510010030). USTR detailed the results of its review in a document posted to its website (here).
CBP said it created Harmonized System Update (HSU) 1507 on Oct. 7, containing 1,101 ABI records and 224 harmonized tariff records. The update includes the addition of Partner Government Agency indicators for future Lacey Act submissions, said CBP (here). Other changes are related to a recent presidential proclamation on Generalized System of Preferences product eligibility (see 1510010030). Adjustments required for the verification of the 2015 Harmonized Tariff Schedule are also included, CBP said in a CSMS message. The modified records can be retrieved electronically via the procedures indicated in the CATAIR. Further information: Jennifer Keeling, Jennifer.Keeling@dhs.gov.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Sept. 28 - Oct. 2 in case they were missed.
The Obama administration announced the results of its 2014 Generalized System of Preferences review on Sept. 30, making a number of changes, effective Oct. 1, to product eligibility in the program. President Barack Obama issued a presidential proclamation (here) to implement those changes. The proclamation wraps up the shortened 2014 GSP review (see 1507060025).