[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 107 (Friday, June 2, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35395-35396]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-13806]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION


Possible Modifications to the International Harmonized System 
Nomenclature

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Request for Proposals To Amend the International Harmonized 
System.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is soliciting proposals from interested parties 
and agencies to amend the international Harmonized Commodity 
Description and Coding System (Harmonized System), including the rules 
of interpretation, section and chapter notes, and the texts of the 
headings and subheadings, with a view to keeping the Harmonized System 
current with changes in patterns of technology and trade. Specific 
proposals in this connection will be reviewed by the Commission staff 
for potential submission to the Customs Co-operation Council, now known 
as the World Customs Organization (WCO), in Brussels, Belgium.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 24, 2000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eugene A. Rosengarden, Director, 
Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements (O/TA&TA) (202/205-2595, 
E-Mail [email protected]) or Ronald Heller (202/205-2596, E-Mail 
[email protected]). The O/TA&TA fax number is 202/205-2616.

[[Page 35396]]

Background

    Soon after the implementation of the Harmonized System (HS) in 
1988, the Harmonized System (HS) Review Subcommittee (RSC) of the WCO 
began a series of reviews of the entire HS. The third review cycle 
begins this year, with an expected implementation date for changes of 
January 2007.
    The HS was established by an international Convention, which, inter 
alia, provides that the Harmonized System should be kept up-to-date in 
light of changes in technology and patterns of international trade. The 
international HS nomenclature, which is administered by the WCO, 
provides a uniform structural basis for the customs tariff and 
statistical nomenclatures of all major trading countries of the world, 
including the United States. The Commission, the U.S. Customs Service 
and the Bureau of the Census are responsible for the development of 
U.S. technical proposals concerning the HS under section 1210 of the 
Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the 1988 Act) (19 U.S.C. 
3010). A 1988 notice issued by the United States Trade Representative 
(53 FR 45646, Nov. 10, 1988), establishes the Commission as the lead 
U.S. agency in considering proposals for HS amendments that are 
intended to ensure that it reflects such changes in technology and 
trade.
    A copy of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTSA), which 
incorporates the international Harmonized System in its overall 
structure, can be downloaded in compressed form (self-extracting files) 
at the USITC's World Wide Web (WWW) site on the following page (URL): 
http://www.usitc.gov/taffairs.htm. Hard copies and electronic copies of 
the HTSA can be found at many of the 1,400 federal Depository Libraries 
located throughout the United States and its territories; further 
information about these locations can be found on the WWW at the 
following location (URL): http://ww1.access.gpo.gov/GPOAccess/
sitesearch/su__docs__fdlp/ adpos003.html, or by contacting GPO Access 
at the Government Printing Office, 1-888-293-6498. Note that the 
international HS comprises the broadest levels of categories in the 
HTSA, that is, the General Rules for the Interpretation of the 
Nomenclature, Section and Chapter titles, Section and Chapter legal 
notes, and heading and subheading texts to the 6-digit level of detail. 
U.S. Legal Notes, further subdivisions (8- and 10-digit subheadings) 
and statistical notes, as well as the entire chapters 98 and 99, are 
national legal and statistical detail added for the administration of 
the tariff and statistical programs and are not within the scope of the 
international HS review process.
    Request for Proposals: In accordance with the above mentioned USTR 
notice, the Commission is seeking proposals for specific modifications 
to the HS (including the rules of interpretation, section and chapter 
notes, and the texts of the headings and subheadings) that will further 
the above goals. No proposals for changes to the national-level 
provisions (which include U.S. 8-digit subheadings, statistical 
annotations and rates of duty) will be considered by the Commission as 
a part of this review. Interested parties, associations and government 
agencies should submit specific language for proposed amendments to the 
HS together with appropriate descriptive comments and, to the extent 
available, trade data.
    As part of this review, the Commission particularly invites 
proposals concerning the following matters:
     The deletion of HS headings or subheadings with low trade 
volume.
     The separate identification in the HS of new products 
important in international trade.
     The simplification of the HS, e.g., by the elimination of 
classification provisions which are difficult to administer.
     Modifications to the HS Explanatory Notes, a WCO 
publication which clarifies the scope of HS provisions.
    As mentioned above, no proposals for changes to national-level 
provisions (including Additional U.S. Notes, U.S. 8-digit subheadings, 
statistical annotations and rates of duty) will be considered by the 
Commission as a part of this review. The changes in the international 
HS that will result from this review cycle will not necessarily affect 
tariff rates for products imported into the United States; as with the 
first two HS review cycles, the USITC plans eventually to develop a set 
of proposed HTS changes that will align the HTS with the international 
HS changes, pursuant to sec. 1205 of the 1988 Act.
    Deadline: Suggestions must be received no later than the close of 
business June 30, 2000, in order to be considered by the Commission. 
Requests for extensions of time should be made in writing to the 
Secretary at the address indicated below.
    Written Submissions: All submissions should be addressed to the 
Secretary, United States International Trade Commission, 500 E St. SW, 
Room 112-A ,Washington, DC 20436. Commercial or financial information 
that a party desires the Commission to treat as confidential must be 
submitted on separate sheets of paper, each clearly marked 
``Confidential Business Information'' at the top. All submissions 
requesting confidential treatment must conform with the requirements of 
section 201.6 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 
CFR 201.6). All written submissions, except for confidential business 
information, will be made available for inspection by interested 
persons.
    TDD Access: Hearing impaired individuals are advised that 
information on this matter can be obtained by contacting our TDD 
terminal on (202) 205-1810.
    World Wide Web Access: This notice, and any subsequent notices 
published pursuant to section 1210 of the 1988 Act, may be obtained 
from the ITC Internet web server: http://www.usitc.gov/.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: May 25, 2000.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-13806 Filed 6-1-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-D