Objections to the exemption of low value shipments from the Section 301 duties on goods from China demonstrates the need for a change in law to allow for de minimis exemptions for goods withdrawn from foreign-trade zones, the 321 Coalition said in comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The comments were part of the docket on the fourth tranche of Section 301 tariffs on goods from China, which are now on hold as the U.S. and China work toward a trade deal (see 1907010012). The coalition similarly said it would like to see federal law changed to allow for de minimis entry for goods from foreign-trade zones as part of CBP's customs framework review (see 1902140022).
2019 is shaping up to be another active year in terms of changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Like last year, a series of revisions were necessary in the first half of the year to implement Section 301 exemptions and an increase for $200 billion worth of the China tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent. Other major changes are related to the Generalized System of Preferences, and in particular the removal of India and Turkey from the program. In all, seven revisions were issued prior to the mid-year Revision 8, as follows:
The final set of tariff reductions under the Expanded World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement will take effect July 1. International Trade Today is again providing a table of changes to tariffs in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for certain products as a result of this last round of implementation. While tariffs on many products were eliminated completely when the agreement took effect in July 2016, other products subject to the expanded ITA have seen tariffs phased out over a three-year period, with tariffs for all remaining products covered by the agreement now reduced to zero in 2019.
The International Trade Commission on July 1 posted Revision 8 to the 2019 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The semiannual update to the HTS implements the fourth and final round of tariff cuts under the expanded World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement. It also extensively reorganizes 10-digit tariff subheadings covering aluminum products, and adds tariff provisions for aerial work platform trucks, frozen berry mixes, diamond grinding wheels, storage lockers and certain electric motorcycles.
The rapid changes in trade policy have elevated the need for adroit trade compliance management at international companies that hadn't previously been so concerned with customs duties, said two compliance professionals who spoke at the American Association of Exporters and Importers Annual Conference in Washington on June 28. "It's been an overall breaking down walls of communication" among the various groups at the company who "historically" didn't interact very often, said Antoinette Montoya, corporate export-import compliance manager at Bechtel Corporation. Now, though, "we've had a lot of really good strategic relationships built out of this," she said. Whatever happens with subsequent administrations, those relationships will "really help us in the long run," Montoya said.
ITC Issues Semiannual Revision to 2019 HTS; Changes Take Effect July 1
Strings of lights imported by Target are not classifiable as lights for Christmas trees, the Court of International Trade said in a July 2 decision. Overturning CBP’s classification, the court found Target’s lighting sets aren’t meant for Christmas trees because they don’t have green wiring and are advertised for Halloween or for general use.
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping duty investigations on collated steel staples from China, South Korea and Taiwan (A-570-112, A-580-901, A-583-866), and countervailing duty investigation on collated steel staples from China (C-570-113). The CV duty investigation covers entries Jan. 1, 2018, through Dec. 31, 2018. The AD duty investigations on South Korea and Taiwan cover entries April 1, 2018, through March 31, 2019, and the AD duty investigation on China covers entries Oct. 1, 2018, through March 31, 2019.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 24-30:
CBP will require ACE for reporting all in-bond exports, arrivals and diversions starting July 29, the agency said in a CSMS message. "CBP will no longer accept paper copies of the CBPF 7512 to perform arrival and export functionality," though air shipments will still be exempt from the requirements, it said. "An ACE edit will issue a rejection if these actions are not performed," CBP said. "At this time, no date is set for implementation of the provision requiring the 6-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule number requirement for Immediate Transportation movements." The Automated In-Bond Processing Business Process document is the "official publication which provides both CBP and the trade community with guidance, requirements and responsibilities when processing in-bond cargo," the agency said.