[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 251 (Friday, December 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83082-83083]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-33257]


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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Investigation No. 1205-5]


Proposed Modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Additional Proposed Amendments.

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EFFECTIVE DATE: December 21, 2000.
SUMMARY: On November 18, 1999, the Commission instituted investigation 
No. 1205-5, Proposed Modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of 
the United States, pursuant to section 1205 of the Omnibus Trade and 
Competitiveness Act of 1988. Section 1205 directs the Commission to 
keep Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) under 
continuous review and to recommend modifications

[[Page 83083]]

to the HTS (1) when amendments to the International Convention on the 
Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System), 
and the Protocol thereto, are recommended by the World Customs 
Organization (WCO) (formerly known as the Customs Cooperation Council) 
for adoption, and (2) as other circumstances warrant. The Commission's 
final report will set forth the proposed changes and indicate the 
necessary changes in the HTS that would be needed to conform the HTS to 
the international nomenclature structure; the report will also include 
other appropriate explanatory information on the proposed changes. A 
preliminary report was submitted to the Office of the United States 
Trade Representative in March 2000. Since that time, the Commission has 
been informed of additional proposed amendments to the HTS that should 
be included in the final report.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eugene A. Rosengarden, Director (202-
205-2592), Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements, U.S. 
International Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20436. Hearing impaired 
individuals are advised that information on this investigation can be 
obtained by contacting the TDD terminal on (202) 205-1810.

Background

    The majority of the changes proposed in the Commission's 
preliminary report are the result of the work of the WCO and its 
Harmonized System Committee (HSC) to update and clarify the Harmonized 
System nomenclature, as part of the WCO's long-term program to review 
the nomenclature structure on a formal basis. These proposed changes, 
which are to become effective in January 2002, are available in the 
Office of the Secretary, Room 112, United States International Trade 
Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436 (telephone 202-205-
2000) and are posted on the Commission's website (http://www.usitc.gov). These changes encompass all decisions taken by the HSC 
since the implementation of the last set of WCO modifications to the 
Harmonized System, which were effective as of January 1, 1996. Future 
notices will be issued in this investigation indicating the final 
resolution of all matters and decisions taken by the HSC during the 
course of Commission consideration. Other proposed changes included in 
this investigation are requested by the U.S. Customs Service, in order 
to clarify the proper tariff classification and duty treatment of 
particular goods due to decisions of the Court of International Trade, 
the HSC, or the US Customs Service. These changes, including those 
which are the subject of this notice, will be treated separately in the 
Commission's final report. The Commission has prepared non-
authoritative cross-reference tables in its preliminary report to 
provide guidance to potentially affected parties and to show the likely 
existing and future tariff classifications of the goods concerned. The 
Customs Service has domestic legal authority for tariff classification 
and may provide information, both during the course of the 
investigation and after the Commission's report is submitted, that 
indicates different or additional tariff classifications of some goods. 
Moreover, the WCO will eventually issue a cross-reference table under 
Article 16 of the Harmonized System Convention, indicating the agreed 
international classifications (existing and future) of the goods 
affected by the proposed changes. The latter table may be release later 
in the Commission's investigation, and differences between 
international and domestic classification of a few goods may be 
suggested (in some cases due to reservations filed by WCO member 
countries or to theoretical or asserted classifications for some 
goods). Thus, the classifications shown in the Commission's cross-
reference tables may be subject to change in the final report.

Additional Proposed Amendments to the HTS

    In addition to the changes to the HTS proposed in the Commission's 
preliminary report, the following changes are also proposed, in order 
to correct an error made during the conversion of the former Tariff 
Schedules of the United States (TSUS) to the format of the Harmonized 
System. These new proposed changes are set out below.
    (1) Subheading 2924.29.41: Delete the reference to ``Methyl-4-
aminobenzenesulfonylcarbamate (Asulam)'' from the Article Description, 
so that the description would read as follows:

``3-Ethoxycarbonylaminophenyl-N-phenylcarbamate (Desmedipahm); and 
Isopropyl-N-(3-chlorophenyl)car-bamate (CIPC)''

    Renumber the subheading as 2924.29.43 to reflect a change in its 
scope.
    (2) Subheading 2935.00.05: Insert a reference to ``Methyl-4-
aminobenzenesulfonylcarbamate (Asulam)'' in the Article Description, so 
that the description would read as follows:

``4-Amino-6-chloro-m-benzenedisulfonamide; and Methyl-4-
aminobenzenesulfonylcarbamate (Asulam)''

    Renumber the subheading as 2935.00.06 to reflect a change in its 
scope.

Written Submissions

    Interested parties are invited to submit written statements 
concerning two proposed changes outlined above. Commercial or financial 
information that a submitter desires 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 
Sec. 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 in the Office of the Secretary of 
the Commission for inspection by interested parties. To be assured of 
consideration by the Commission, written statements relating to the 
proposed changes above should be submitted to the Commission at the 
earliest practical date and should be received no later than the close 
of business on January 19, 2001. All submissions should be addressed to 
the Secretary, United States International Trade Commission, 500 E 
Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. The Commission's rules do not 
authorize filing submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or by 
electronic means.
    Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance 
in gaining access to the Commission should contact the Office of the 
Secretary at 202-205-2000. General information concerning the 
Commission may also be obtained by accessing its Internet server 
(http://www.usitc.gov).

List of Subjects

    Tariffs/HTS, Harmonized System, WCO, and imports.

    Issued: December 21, 2000.

    By order of the Commission.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-33257 Filed 12-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P