The International Trade Commission posted Revision 5 to the 2021 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The semiannual update to the HTS removes General Note 12 for NAFTA from the tariff schedule, and adds new tariff numbers for a variety of products, including frozen warmwater shrimp, tomatoes, organic berries and high-strength steel. All changes take effect July 1, unless otherwise specified.
Harmonized Tariff Schedule
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) provide classification provisions and 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 CBP is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the HTS.
The International Trade Commission posted Revision 5 to the 2021 Harmonized Tariff Schedule late on July 2, following resolution of technical issues that had delayed its publication. The semiannual update to the HTS removes General Note 12 for NAFTA from the tariff schedule, and adds new tariff numbers for a variety of products, including frozen warmwater shrimp, tomatoes, organic berries and high-strength steel. All changes take effect July 1, unless otherwise specified.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 21-27.
CBP will exempt some filers from the requirement to file a 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading on low value shipments that do not have PGA requirements once it finalizes new data elements for Section 321 shipments, Brandon Lord, acting CBP executive director-trade policy and programs, said at the June 23 meeting of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee.
The Court of International Trade ruled that a shipment of 443 bales of secondhand clothing imported by DIS Vintage should be classified as “commingled goods” and subject to the “highest rate of duty for any part thereof,” siding with the government in a May 17 opinion. Judge Timothy Reif, after a government analysis of 41 samples of the subject merchandise, determined that nine weren't classified under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 6309 as “worn clothing and other worn articles” since they had no visible signs of appreciable wear.
The International Trade Commission published a new report detailing its recommended changes to the 2022 Harmonized Tariff Schedule, mostly to implement upcoming changes in the new year to the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System nomenclature. Changes adopted as a result of these final recommendations will take effect Jan. 1, 2022.
Very few businesses testified at a live hearing May 6 on the tariff targets for the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Austria, in response to those countries' digital services taxes, but dozens of firms and trade groups submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
The International Trade Commission recently issued Revision 2 to the basic edition of the 2021 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The only changes in Revision 2, released March 30, relate to the extension of Section 301 exclusions for certain COVID-19 treatment goods announced in early March (see 2103050052). The terms of subheadings 9903.88.62, 9903.88.63, 9903.88.64 and 9903.88.65 are amended so they now say they expire Sept. 30.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of March 22-28:
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Feb.8-14: