[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 189 (Friday, September 28, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49153-49155]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21303]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Conforming Amendment and Modification to Section 301 Action: 
China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, 
Intellectual Property, and Innovation

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of modification and amendment of action.

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SUMMARY: In a notice published on September 21, 2018 (September 21st 
Notice), the U.S. Trade Representative (Trade Representative) adopted a 
supplemental action in this 301 investigation by imposing additional 
duties on goods of China classified in subheadings of the Harmonized 
Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) listed in Annex A of that 
Notice. Pursuant to a Presidential Proclamation of July 30, 2018, 
certain HTSUS subheadings covered by the supplemental action will be 
modified as of October 1, 2018. This notice conforms the September 21 
supplemental action to the HTSUS modifications in the Presidential 
Proclamation and amends the prior action taken in the investigation by 
removing certain subheadings of the HTSUS listed in Annex A to the 
September 21st Notice.

DATES: 
    October 1, 2018: The supplemental 301 action is modified to conform 
to the HTSUS modifications in the Presidential Proclamation of July 30, 
2018 (Proclamation 9771), as set out in the Annex to this notice.
    September 24, 2018: The modification removing certain HTSUS 
subheadings applies to the date of the imposition of the additional 
tariff, as set out in paragraph C to the Annex to this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about this notice, 
contact Assistant General Counsels Arthur Tsao or Megan Grimball, or 
Director of Industrial Goods Justin Hoffmann at (202) 395-5725. For 
questions on customs classification or implementation of additional 
duties on products covered in the supplemental action, contact 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In the September 21st Notice (83 FR 47974), 
the Trade Representative, in accordance with the specific direction of 
the President, determined to modify the action being taken in this 
Section 301 investigation by imposing additional duties on products of 
China classified in the full and partial subheadings of the HTSUS set 
out in Annex A to the September 21st Notice, while maintaining the 
prior action being taken in the investigation. This supplemental action 
was effective on September 24, 2018.
    Proclamation 9771 (83 FR 37993), among other things, modifies the 
HTSUS to ensure conformity with U.S. obligations under the 
International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and 
Coding System, based on a recommendation of the U.S. International 
Trade Commission. These HTSUS modifications are effective October 1, 
2018.
    The HTSUS modifications in Proclamation 9771 include certain 
subheadings in chapter 44 of the HTSUS covered by the action in the 
September 21st Notice. Paragraph A of the Annex to this notice makes 
the appropriate conforming amendments to the supplemental action set 
out in the September 21st Notice. In particular, 14 subheadings in 
chapter 44 deleted by Proclamation 9771 are accordingly deleted from 
Annex A of the September 21st Notice, and are replaced by the 
corresponding 38 new subheadings in chapter 44 of the HTSUS that were 
added by Proclamation 9771. These changes to the September 21 action 
are effective on October 1, 2018.
    Paragraph B of the Annex to this notice corrects a typographical 
error in the fourth paragraph of U.S. Note 20(a) to subchapter III of 
chapter 99, as set out in Annex C of the notice published at 83 FR 
40823 (August 16, 2018).
    To account fully for the extensive public comments and testimony 
previously provided in response to the Federal Register notices seeking 
public comments (83 FR 33608, 83 FR 38760), the Trade Representative 
has determined to further modify the action being taken in the 
investigation. Paragraph C of the Annex to this notice removes two 
subheadings from the list of subheadings of the HTSUS subject to the 
additional duties set forth in Annex A of the September 21st Notice.

Jeffrey Gerrish,
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative.
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[FR Doc. 2018-21303 Filed 9-27-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3290-F8-C