[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 165 (Tuesday, August 26, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50943-50944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-20175]
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 1205-11]
Recommended Modifications in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule To
Conform With Amendments to the Harmonized System Recommended by the
World Customs Organization, and To Address Other Matters
AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.
ACTION: Notice of institution of investigation.
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SUMMARY: The Commission has instituted investigation No. 1205-11,
Recommended Modifications in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to Conform
with Amendments to the Harmonized System Recommended by the World
Customs Organization, and to Address Other Matters, pursuant to section
1205 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the 1988
Act) (19 U.S.C. 3005), in order to recommend to the President
modifications in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
(HTS).
The recommended modifications concern (1) the World Customs
Organization's (WCO) Recommendation of June 27, 2014 that Contracting
Parties to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity
Description and Coding System (Convention) modify their tariff
schedules to conform with amendments to the Harmonized System expected
to enter into force on January 1, 2017; and (2) whether one of the two
HTS subheadings that apply to taro (also known as dasheens) should be
deleted, and whether the HTS nomenclature for corned beef should be
provided for under a superior subheading for cured meat of bovine
animals.
DATES: August 20, 2014: Posting of the WCO's Recommendation of June 27,
2014, on the Commission Web site. December 2014 (actual date to be
announced later): Posting of the Commission's proposed recommendations
on the Commission's Web site.
February 2015 (actual date to be announced later): Deadline for
interested Federal agencies and the public to file written views on the
Commission's proposed recommendations. July 2015 (actual date to be
announced later): Transmittal of the Commission's report to the
President.
ADDRESSES: All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing
rooms, are located in the United States International Trade Commission
Building, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC. All written submissions
should be addressed to the Secretary, United States International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436. The public record
for this investigation may be viewed on the Commission's electronic
docket (EDIS) at http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel P. Shepherdson, Attorney-
Advisor, Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements (202-205-2598,
or [email protected]) or John Kitzmiller, Nomenclature
Analyst, Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements (202-205-3387,
or [email protected]). The media should contact Margaret
O'Laughlin, Office of External Relations (202-205-1819, or
[email protected]). Hearing-impaired individuals may obtain
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal
at 202-205-1810. General information about the Commission may be
obtained by accessing the Commission Web site at www.usitc.gov. 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.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: Section 1205(a) of the 1988 Act requires that the
Commission keep the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
(Harmonized Tariff Schedule or HTS) under continuous review and
periodically recommend to the President such modifications in the HTS
as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate, including to
conform the HTS with amendments made to the International Convention on
the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Convention),
which contains the Harmonized System nomenclature in the Annex to the
Convention.
The Harmonized System nomenclature provides uniform product
architecture for the customs tariffs and statistical nomenclatures of
all major trading countries of the world, including the United States.
The Harmonized System establishes the general arrangement or structure
of product categories, set forth in chapters, 4-digit headings and 6-
digit subheadings. It also includes the general rules of
interpretation, and section and chapter legal notes that define the
scope of sections, chapters, 4-digit headings and 6-digit subheadings.
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule is based on the Harmonized System
nomenclature. In addition, however, the HTS includes national
subdivisions (8-digit subheadings and 10-digit statistical
annotations), as well as additional U.S. chapter notes, and other
national provisions that facilitate the administration of U.S. customs,
tariff and statistical programs.
On June 27, 2014, the WCO adopted recommended amendments to the
Harmonized System nomenclature that are scheduled to enter into force
on January 1, 2017. The amendments are the fifth in a series of such
amendments and are part of the WCO's ongoing program of periodically
reviewing and updating the Harmonized System nomenclature. The
Commission has posted a copy of the WCO amendments on its Web site at
www.usitc.gov. The Commission will recommend to the President such
modifications in the HTS as it considers necessary or appropriate to
conform the HTS with such amendments.
The Commission will also consider two additional possible
modifications in the HTS identified by U.S. Customs and Border
Protection as part of this investigation. The first relates to the HTS
nomenclature for taro (also known as dasheens). In the HTS, fresh or
[[Page 50944]]
chilled taro is provided for in HTS subheading 0714.40.10, while fresh
or chilled dasheens are provided for in HTS subheading 0714.90.10. As
part of this investigation, the Commission intends to consider whether
it is necessary or appropriate to recommend to the President that one
of the two subheadings be deleted from the HTS. The second additional
possible modification relates to the HTS nomenclature for corned beef,
which is provided for in HTS subheading 1602.50.10. The superior
subheading to subheading 1602.50.10 provides for certain meat of bovine
animals that is not cured. However, corned beef is a cured meat
product. As part of this investigation, the Commission intends to
consider whether it is necessary or appropriate to recommend to the
President that the HTS be modified to provide for corned beef under a
superior subheading for cured meat of bovine animals.
An up-to-date copy of the HTS, which incorporates the Harmonized
System in its overall structure, can be found on the Commission Web
site at www.usitc.gov. Hard copies and electronic copies on CD 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 at www.gpoaccess.gov or by
contacting GPO Access by telephone at (866) 512-1800.
Proposed Recommendations, Opportunity To Comment: In preparing its
recommended modifications, the Commission will first prepare proposed
recommendations and provide opportunity to interested Federal agencies
and the public to present their views in writing on those proposed
recommendations. The Commission expects to publish the proposed
recommendations on its Web site in December 2014, and will publish a
notice in the Federal Register at that time providing notice of their
availability and the procedures for filing written views, including the
date by which such written views must be filed. To assist the public in
understanding the proposed changes and in developing comments, the
Commission will include, with the proposed recommendations and in its
report to the President, a non-authoritative cross-reference table
linking the proposed tariff codes to the corresponding current tariff
codes. Persons using the successive versions of this table should be
aware that the cross-references shown are subject to change during the
course of the investigation.
Recommendations to the President: The Commission will submit its
recommended modifications to the President in the form of a report that
will include a summary of the information on which the recommendations
were based, together with a statement of the probable economic effect
of each recommended change on any industry in the United States. The
report also will include a copy of all written views submitted by
interested Federal agencies and a copy or summary, prepared by the
Commission, of the views of all other interested parties. The
Commission expects to submit that report in July 2015.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: August 20, 2014.
Lisa R. Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2014-20175 Filed 8-25-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P