Communications Litigation Today was a service of Warren Communications News.

ITC's Final Report on Proposed HTS Changes for 2012 (Part 4: Ch. 16-24)

The International Trade Commission has issued a final report in connection with its investigation of proposed 2012 WCO-recommended modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S., pursuant to section 1205 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 19881. This is Part 4 of a series of summaries of these proposed modifications, and covers changes to Chapters 16-24.

(These WCO-recommended HTS changes, which are intended to be rate-neutral, are scheduled to take effect via proclamation on January 1, 2012; however, they can take effect no sooner than 30 days after the proclamation is published in the Federal Register).

Amendments to HTS Section IV, Chapters 16 - 24

The following are the recommended amendments to HTS Section IV (Prepared Foodstuffs; Beverages, Spirits, and Vinegar; Tobacco and Manufactured Tobacco Substitutes), covering Chapters 16-24 (see report for full descriptions/details):

Chapter 16: Preparations of Meat, of Fish or of Crustaceans, Molluscs or Other Aquatic Invertebrates

Chapter 17: Sugars and Sugar Confectionery

(Note that no changes are proposed for Chapters 18 and 19.)

Chapter 20: Preparations of Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts or Other Parts of Plants

Chapter 21: Miscellaneous Edible Preparations

(Note that no changes are proposed for Chapters 22 and 23.)

Chapter 24: Tobacco and Manufactured Tobacco Substitutes

1Section 1205 directs the ITC to keep the HTS under continuous review and to recommend to the President modifications thereto, (1) when amendments to the international Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System, International HS), and the Protocol thereto, are recommended by the World Customs Organization (WCO) for adoption; and/or (2) as other circumstances warrant.

2General Note 4(d) lists Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) country/tariff number combinations that are not eligible for GSP duty-free treatment.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 06/09/11, 06/10/11, and 06/13/11 news, 11060918, 11061006, and 11061301, for BP summaries of Part 1 (Overview), Part 2 (Chapters 1-5), and Part 3 (Chapters 6-15) of this report.

See ITT's Online Archives or 03/09/11 news, 10090315, for BP summary of the ITC announcing its investigation on proposed changes to the HTS for January 2012.)

(ITC Inv. No. 1205-7 (Final Report), dated June 2010)