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ITC's Final Report on Proposed HTS Changes for 2012 (Part 5: Ch. 25-38)

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 5 of a series of summaries of these proposed modifications, and covers changes to Chapters 25-38.

(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 Sections V and VI, Chapters 25-38

The following are the recommended amendments to HTS Section V (Mineral Products), covering Chapters 25-27, and Section VI (Products of the Chemical or Allied Industries), covering Chapters 28-38 (see report for full descriptions/details):

Chapter 25: Salt; Sulfur; Earths and Stone; Plastering Materials, Lime and Cement

(Note that no changes are proposed to Chapter 26.)

Chapter 27: Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes

Chapter 28: Inorganic Chemicals; Organic or Inorganic Compounds of Precious Metals, of Rare-Earth Metals, of Radioactive Elements or of Isotopes

Chapter 29: Organic Chemicals

Chapter 30: Pharmaceutical Products

(Note that no modifications are proposed for Chapters 31-36.)

Chapter 37: Photographic or Cinematographic Good

Chapter 38: Miscellaneous Chemical Products

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, 06/13/11, and 06/14/11 news, 11060918, 11061006, 11061301 and 11061411, for BP summaries of Part 1 (Overview), Part 2 (Chapters 1-5), Part 3 (Chapters 6-15), and Part 4 (Chapters 16-24) 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)