Tariff Affairs

Announcements

  • Effective March 1, 2018, the following changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), related to reporting of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic (CSPV) cells, will take effect:

    • For HTS 8501.31.80, 8501.32.60 and 8501.61.00, new statistical annotations for photovoltaic generators will be added, each with a second unit of quantity, "W" (for total wattage).
       

    • For HTS 8507.20.80, a new statistical annotation for modules of a kind described in subheading 9903.45.25 will be added. It will have a second unit of quantity, "W" (for total wattage). Current statistical annotations 8507.20.8030, 8507.20.8040, 8507.20.8060 and 8507.20.8090 will be renumbered as 8507.20.8031, 8507.20.8041, 8507.20.8061 and 8507.20.8091, respectively.
       

    • For HTS 8541.40.6020, solar cells assembled into modules or made up into panels, a second unit of quantity, "W" (for total wattage), will be added.
       

    • The following new statistical note "9." will be added to the chapter notes for chapter 85: For the purposes of heading 8501, photovoltaic generators consist of panels of photocells combined with other apparatus, e.g., storage batteries and electronic controls (voltage regulator, inverter, etc.) and panels or modules equipped with elements, however simple (for example, diodes to control the direction of the current), which supply the power directly to, for example, a motor, an electrolyser. In these devices, electricity is produced by means of solar cells which convert solar energy directly into electricity (photovoltaic conversion).
       

    • Current statistical note "9." of chapter 85 will be renumbered as note "10." and modified as follows: For the purposes of statistical reporting numbers 8501.31.8010, 8501.32.6010, 8501.61.0010, 8507.20.8010, 8541.40.6020 and 8541.40.6030, importers should report the total watts at maximum power based on standard test conditions according to the latest revision of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60904, "Photovoltaic Devices."

  • Effective February 7, 2018, the following changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule for units of quantity reporting will take effect:

    • For HTS 8450.90.20 and 8450.90.60, certain parts of washing machines, the new unit of quantity will be "No." instead of "X".

    • For HTS 8541.40.6030, solar cells, a second unit of quantity, "W" (for total wattage), will be added.

    • For statistical reporting purposes under subheading 8541.40.6030, importers should report the total watts at maximum power based on standard test conditions according to the latest revision of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 60904, "Photovoltaic Devices."

    • These modifications will take effect along with the increases in duty and the imposition of tariff-rate quotas on imports of washers and covered washer parts and certain CSPV products announced in Presidential Proclamations 9693 and 9694, of January 23, 2018.

  • The 2018 Basic Edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) is now available. The changes contained in this annual edition reflect the staged reductions in duties under those U.S. free trade agreements providing for annual reductions; GSP Program and other changes in Presidential Proclamation 9687 of December 22, 2017; and changes approved by the Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, effective January 1, 2018.
     
  • Revision 1 of the 2017 HTS is now available. The changes contained in this revision reflect the staged rate reductions of Presidential Proclamation 9466 of June 30, 2016; GSP Program changes of Presidential Proclamation XXXX of June 29, 2017; and changes approved by the Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, effective July 1, 2017.

  • USITC Inv. No. 1205-12 (February 2016):The Commission instituted this investigation on October 2, 2015, pursuant to section 1205 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3005) (Trade Act of 1988).

  • USITC Inv. No. 1205-11 (July 2015):The Commission instituted this investigation on August 20, 2014, pursuant to section 1205 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3005) (Trade Act of 1988). Section 1205(a) of the Trade Act of 1988 requires the Commission to keep the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (Harmonized Tariff Schedule or HTS) under continuous review and periodically to recommend to the President such modifications in the HTS as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate to conform the HTS with amendments made to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Convention), and for certain other purposes.

  • World Customs Organization Recommendation of June 11, 2015 concerning amendments to the Harmonized System nomenclature.

  • USITC Investigation 1205-11: The International Trade Commission has instituted Investigation 1205-11 to prepare recommended modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to conform with amendments to the Harmonized System that were recommended by the World Customs Organization, and to address other matters.

  • World Customs Organization Recommendation of June 27, 2014 concerning amendments to the Harmonized System nomenclature.

    Proposed Recommendations to Amend the HTS (Inv. 1205-11) of January 2015  

    Federal Register Notice (Preliminary Report)

    Guide to Filing Comments Electronically

  • The Alphabetical Index to the 2011 edition of the HTS has been restored to the USITC Web site and will be published in the future. Users of the Index had been referred instead to the HTS Online Reference Tool , which provides better search capability and will be further enhanced over time. Users are still encouraged to use the HTS Online Reference Tool for their HTS searches, but, in response to feedback from the importing community, the Alphabetical Index has been restored.

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Are you looking for information on Presidential Proclamations 9739 (Aluminum Imports) and 9740 (Steel Imports)?

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States contains the tariff provisions and rates of duty most recently announced for these products, and can be found here (https://hts.usitc.gov/current )

The modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States made by Proclamations 9739 (83 F.R. 20677) and 9740 (83 F.R. 20683) are reflected in chapter 99, subchapter III. This edition is current as of May 1, 2018, but importers should be aware that additional changes may occur and should watch for further updates to the chapter.

Link to Proclamation 9739:  https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-05-07/pdf/2018-09840.pdf 

Link to Proclamation 9740:  https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-05-07/pdf/2018-09841.pdf

The posted version of chapter 99 reflects the following changes in subchapter III: 

  • U.S. note 16 to subchapter III has been significantly modified to take into account newly proclaimed provisions pertaining to steel products of South Korea and to provide further guidance to Customs and to users of the HTS about fees and charges they may owe. 
  • New tariff rate lines have also been added for the administration of the actions on products of South Korea. 
  • U.S. note 19 has been modified to reflect proclaimed changes for aluminum products, and other modifications provide a framework for future proclaimed actions.
  • The information in chapter 99 should be read in conjunction with the provisions of chapters 72 and 73 (steel) and 76 (aluminum).

For classification and enforcement questions, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted additional information:   https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/entry-summary/232-tariffs-aluminum-and-steel