[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 11946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-6188]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Technical Correction to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Technical correction to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States.

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SUMMARY: The United States Trade Representative (USTR) is making a 
technical correction to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States (HTS) so that the intended tariff treatment is accorded certain 
phenols having a purity of 75 percent or more by weight.

ADDRESSES: Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th 
Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20508.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara Chattin, Director for Tariff 
Affairs (202) 395-5097, or Catherine Field, Senior Counsel for 
Multilateral Affairs, (202) 395-3432.

Correction to HTS

    The HTS is modified as provided below, with bracketed matter 
included to assist in the understanding of proclaimed modifications. 
The following supersedes matter in the HTS. The subheadings and 
superior text are set forth in columnar format, and material in such 
columns is inserted in the columns of the HTS designated ``Heading/
Subheading'', ``Article Description'', ``Rates of Duty 1 General'', 
``Rates of Duty 1 Special'', and ``Rates of Duty 2'', respectively.
    Effective with respect to articles that are entered, or 
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after December 31, 
1995.
    1. Subheadings 2707.60.10 and 2707.60.20 are deleted and the 
following new subheadings are inserted in lieu thereof with article 
descriptions at the same level of indentation as that of subheading 
2701.19.00:

                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                        
[2707  Oils and other products of the distillation . . .:]                                                                                              
[2707.60  Phenols:]                                                                                                                                     
``2707.60.05  Containing more than   2.9 cents/kg + 12.5%                   Free (A, CA, E, IL, J, Mx)             7.7 cents/kg + 29.5%                 
 50 percent by weight                                                                                                                                   
 hydroxybenzene.                                                                                                                                        
2707.60.10  Metacresol,              0.9 cents/kg + 3.1%                    Free (A, CA, E, IL, J, MX)             15.4 cents/kg + 42.5%                
 orthocresol, paracresol and                                                                                                                            
 metaparacresol, all the foregoing                                                                                                                      
 having a purity of 75 percent or                                                                                                                       
 more by weight.                                                                                                                                        
2707.60.90  Other..................  Free                                                                          Free''                               
                                                                                                                                                        

Explanation

    Effective January 1, 1996, the President proclaimed modifications 
to the HTS to conform the it with amendments made to International 
Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System 
(Convention). The modifications in Proclamation 6857 were based on 
advice provided by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) to 
the President in investigation No. 1205-3. One of the modifications 
that the USITC recommended and the President proclaimed, (See 
Proclamation 6587), transferred the classification of certain phenols 
having a purity of 75 percent or more by weight from one subheading to 
another subheading. This transfer did not change the duty rate 
treatment for these products. Neither the Proclamation nor the USITC 
advice addressed either the classification or duty rate treatment for 
other phenols.
    In May 1997, the Customs Service changed the classification of 
certain phenols based on its interpretation of the modifications to the 
HTS set forth in Proclamation 6587. This change in classification 
resulted in a rate increase for these products from Free to 2.9 cents 
per kilogram plus 12.5 percent ad valorem. Such a change in duty rate 
for these products was not intended, was not recommended and was not 
explicitly provided for in Proclamation 6587. This technical correction 
ensures that the intended tariff rate applies to the affected products.
    The USTR is making this correction pursuant to authority granted by 
Congress to the President in section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974 and 
delegated by the President to the USTR in Presidential Proclamation No. 
6969 of January 27, 1997 (62 FR 4415).
Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky,
United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 98-6188 Filed 3-10-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M