News and Media
28/12/2011
WCO-Recommended HTS Changes Expected To Take Effect in Late January 2012
The International Trade Commission states that the Proclamation to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to implement hundreds of WCO-recommended tariff changes is "at the White House" and is expected to be signed by the President by the end of the year. Once it is signed, it will be published in the Federal Register and take effect 30 days after its Federal Register publication, which would likely be in the late January 2012 timeframe.
According to the ITC these changes are required to be “substantially rate neutral.”
WCO officials have stated that there were a total of 225 amendments (affecting 5,205 tariff numbers) for the 2012 international HS.
For the U.S. HTS, the following chapters are affected by the 2012 WCO-recommended changes:
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, 27, 28, 29, 30, 37, 38, 41, 42, 44, 47, 48, 56, 58, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 68, 71, 73, 74, 76, 82, 84, 85, 87, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98, and 99
Food and agricultural goods.
A large number of changes were made to facilitate the use of the HS for the compilation of food security data and agriculture (including forestry and fisheries) statistics.
The largest volume of such amendments arose from a single request by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for separate identification of food products in Chapters 1-21.
Diapers, biodiesel, batteries.
The 2012 HS also creates a new heading for hygiene absorbent products, such as infant diapers, adult incontinence products, feminine sanitary products, etc. Currently, these products are classifiable in the international HS under headings 48.18, 56.01, 61.11 or 62.09 according to their constituent materials. However, as of January 1, 2012, these hygiene absorbent products, of any material, will fall under HS heading 96.19.
The International Trade Commission has posted an updated preliminary version of the 2012 Harmonized Tariff Schedule to its website, which is effective on January 1, 2012. ITC states that this preliminary version will not be sent to the Government Printing Office for printing and distribution.
The online ITC HTS will be updated for the WCO-recommended changes once the Proclamation is in effect.
