[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 98 (Tuesday, July 25, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S7545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DODD:
  S. 2916. A bill to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States to provide separate subheadings for hair clippers used for 
animals; to the Committee on Finance.


           tariff classification correction for hair clippers

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, today I am introducing a bill that would 
amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to allow for a separate subheading 
for hair clippers used for animals.
  As a result of the ongoing beef hormone dispute with the European 
Union (EU), the United States Trade Representative has released a list 
of products upon which retaliatory duties of 100 percent will be 
placed. The proposed list was issued pursuant to Section 407 of the 
Trade and Development Act of 2000. Furthermore, Section 407 explicitly 
states that the products on this list must be goods of industries that 
are affected by the EU's non-compliance in the beef hormone dispute.
  Since beard trimmers used by humans and hair clippers for animals for 
use on the farm are both currently included under the same subheading 
within the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, human beard trimmers could 
potentially be subject to the retaliatory duties. However, the personal 
care industry, and specifically human beard trimmers, has no 
relationship with the beef hormone industry as is required by Section 
407.
  To address this problem, and to ensure that products are not 
inadvertently subjected to these retaliatory tariffs, I am introducing 
legislation that would provide a separate subheading to clippers used 
for animals. This legislation would prevent imposing duties on products 
that have no significant bearing or connection to the EU beef hormone 
case and would assist in the fair and equitable application of our 
trade laws. I urge my colleagues to support enactment of this simple 
clarification of our tariff schedule.
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