CSMS Message: 03-000522

FEBRUARY 6, 2003

TO: DIRECTORS, FIELD OPERATIONS

FROM: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, TRADE COMPLIANCE AND FACILITATION
OFFICE OF FIELD OPERATIONS

SUBJECT: EFFECTS OF PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 7637 ON THE
GENERALIZED SYSTEM OF PREFERENCES (GSP) AND THE HARMONIZED
TARIFF SCHEDULE OF THE UNITED STATES (HTS)

PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION 7637, DATED JANUARY 10, 2003, PUBLISHED IN
THE FEDERAL REGISTER ON JANUARY 14, 2003 (68 FR 1951-1954), MODIFIES
THE HTS AND THE LIST OF BENEFICIARY DEVELOPING COUNTRIES ELIGIBLE FOR
PREFERENTIAL TARIFF TREATMENT UNDER THE GSP PROGRAM.

PROCLAMATION 7637 DESIGNATES AFGHANISTAN AS A BENEFICIARY DEVELOPING
COUNTRY UNDER THE GSP, AND AMENDS GENERAL NOTE 4(A) TO THE HTS BY
INSERTING IN ALPHABETICAL SEQUENCE IN THE LIST OF INDEPENDENT
BENEFICIARY COUNTRIES "AFGHANISTAN." THIS MODIFICATION IS EFFECTIVE
WITH RESPECT TO AFGHANISTAN PRODUCTS ENTERED, OR WITHDRAWN FROM
WAREHOUSE, FOR CONSUMPTION, ON OR AFTER JANUARY 29, 2003.

IN ADDITION, PROCLAMATION 7637 DESIGNATES AFGHANISTAN AS A "LEAST-
DEVELOPED BENEFICIARY DEVELOPING COUNTRY" AND MODIFIES GENERAL NOTE
4(B)(I) TO THE HTS BY INSERTING IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER "AFGHANISTAN."
THIS MODIFICATION IS EFFECTIVE WITH RESPECT TO AFGHANISTAN PRODUCTS
ENTERED, OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE, FOR CONSUMPTION, ON OR AFTER
MARCH 16, 2003.

THE PROCLAMATION FURTHER MODIFIES THE HTS IN THE FOLLOWING MANNER:

(A) MODIFICATIONS TO GENERAL NOTE 4 OF THE HTS:

(1) EFFECTIVE WITH RESPECT TO ARTICLES ENTERED, OR WITHDRAWN
FROM WAREHOUSE, FOR CONSUMPTION, ON OR AFTER FEBRUARY
13, 2003, GN 4(D) IS MODIFIED BY ADDING IN NUMERICAL
SEQUENCE "0811.20.20 CHILE".

(B) EFFECTIVE WITH RESPECT TO PRODUCTS CLASSIFIABLE UNDER HTS
SUBHEADING 0811.20.20 ENTERED, OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE, FOR
CONSUMPTION, ON OR AFTER FEBRUARY 13, 2003, THE RATES OF DUTY 1-SPECIAL
SUBCOLUMN IS MODIFIED BY DELETING THE SYMBOL "A" AND INSERTING AN "A*"
IN LIEU THEREOF.

(C) BELOW ARE MODIFICATIONS TO HTS SUBHEADING 8111.00. SPECIFICALLY,
HTS SUBHEADING 8111.00.45 IS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH HTS SUBHEADINGS
8111.00.47 AND 8111.00.49. FURTHERMORE, DUTY-FREE TREATMENT IS
PROVIDED TO HTS SUBHEADING 8111.00.47 WHEN IMPORTED FROM ANY SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICAN (SSA) COUNTRY. THESE CHANGES ARE EFFECTIVE WITH RESPECT TO
GOODS ENTERED, OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE, FOR CONSUMPTION, ON OR AFTER
JANUARY 29, 2003.

HEADING/SUBHEADING ARTICLE DESCRIPTION RATES OF DUTY
COL 1 COL 2
GENERAL SPECIAL
8111.00 MANGANESE AND ARTICLES THEREOF, INCLUDING WASTE AND SCRAP
8111.00.30 WASTE AND SCRAP
OTHER
UNWROUGHT MANGANESE

8111.00.47 FLAKE CONTAINING AT 14% FREE 20%
LEAST 99.5 PERCENT BY (A+,CA,D,
WEIGHT OF MANAGANESE E,IL, J,
MX)
5.6/5(JO)

8111.00.49 OTHER 14% FREE 20%
(A+,CA,
E,IL,
J,MX)
5.6% (JO)

THE AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL SYSTEM HAS BEEN UPDATED TO ALLOW FOR THE
PROCESSING OF ENTRY SUMMARIES THROUGH THE AUTOMATED BROKER INTERFACE.

IMPORTERS OR THEIR AGENTS MAY AVAIL THEMSELVES OF ALL AVAILABLE
POST-ENTRY PROCEDURES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NAFTA 520(D) CLAIMS,
TO RECEIVE A REFUND OF DUTIES FOR ELIGIBLE AFGHANISTAN NON-TEXTILE
ARTICLES AND GOODS UNDER HTS SUBHEADINGS 8111.00.47 IMPORTED FROM SSA
BENEFICIARY COUNTRIES ENTERED, OR WITHDRAWN FROM WAREHOUSE, FOR
CONSUMPTION, ON OR AFTER JANUARY 29, 2003.

THE AFOREMENTIONED MODIFICATIONS WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE NEXT EDITION
OF THE HTS PUBLISHED BY THE U.S. INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION. UNTIL
THE NEXT PRINTED EDITION IS RELEASED, PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE
STAFF MAKES NOTATIONS OF THE CHANGES TO THEIR FILES.

COPIES OF THIS MEMORANDUM SHOULD BE MADE AVAILABLE TO PORT DIRECTORS;
ASSISTANT PORT DIRECTORS, TRADE; IMPORT AND ENTRY SPECIALISTS; INSPECTORS;
BROKERS; IMPORTERS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.

QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS NOTICE FROM THE IMPORTING COMMUNITY SHOULD BE
REFERRED TO THEIR LOCAL CUSTOMS PORT. THE CUSTOMS PORT OF ENTRY MAY
REFER GSP RELATED QUESTIONS TO MS. ARLENE LUGO, TRADE AGREEMENTS BRANCH,
AT (202 ) 927-4183, OR VIA CC:MAIL. INQUIRIES REGARDING MODIFICATIONS
TO THE HTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO MS. YVONNE TOMENGA, OTHER GOVERNMENT
AGENCY BRANCH, AT (202) 927-0370, OR VIA CC:MAIL.

/S/

ELIZABETH G. DURANT

CC: DIRECTOR, CLIENT REPRESENTATIVES
DIRECTOR, NATIONAL COMMODITY SPECIALIST DIVISION
CHIEF, ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT