[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 33 (Friday, February 16, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10743-10744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-4015]


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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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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 the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) under 
continuous review and to recommend modifications 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.

EFFECTIVE DATE: February 9, 2001.

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 released 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 already proposed in the 
Commission's preliminary report and in the Federal Register of December 
29, 2001 (65 FR 83032), 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 4015.11.00: Delete the expression ``and medical'' 
from the Article Description. Renumber the subheading as 4015.11.01 to 
reflect a change in its scope.
    (2) Subheadings 4015.19.10 and 4015.19.50: Delete and substitute 
the following:

                               [Articles of apparel
                                and clothing. . .]
                               [Gloves]:
                                  [Other]:............
``4015.19.05                       Medical............  Free               ......................  25%
                                   Other:.............
4015.19.10                          Seamless..........  3%                 Free (A,CA,E,IL,J,MX)   25%
4015.19.50                          Other.............  14%                Free                    75%
                                                                            (A+,CA,D,E,IL,J,MX)''
 


[[Page 10744]]

Written Submissions

    Interested parties are invited to submit written statements 
concerning the 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 March 2, 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 site (http://www.usitc.gov).

List of Subjects

    Tariffs/HTS, Harmonized system, WCO, and Imports.

    Issued: February 13, 2001.

    By order of the Commission.
Donna R. Koehnke,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-4015 Filed 2-15-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P