CSMS Message: 94-001057

1995 HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE CHANGES

THE URUGUAY ROUND OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE
(GATT) PROVIDES FOR THE CREATION OF TWO NEW SPECIAL PROGRAM INDICATORS
(SPI'S), "K" AND "L". THESE NEW INDICATORS ARE DESCRIBED IN TWO
PROPOSED GENERAL NOTES, TO BE ADDED TO THE 1995 HARMONIZED TARIFF
SCHEDULE OF THE UNITED STATES, AS PRESENTED BELOW:

"PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS. WHENEVER A RATE OF DUTY OF "FREE" FOLLOWED
BY THE SYMBOL "K" IN PARENTHESES APPEARS IN THE "SPECIAL" SUBCOLUMN
FOR A HEADING OR SUBHEADING, ARTICLES CLASSIFIED IN SUCH PROVISION (AND
NOT DUTIABLE UNDER COLUMN 2) SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY FREE OF DUTY
PROVIDED THAT SUCH ARTICLES (INCLUDING THEIR SPECIFIED SALTS, ESTERS
AND HYDRATES) ARE LISTED IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL APPENDIX TO THE TARIFF
SCHEDULE.

INTERMEDIATE CHEMICALS FOR DYES. WHENEVER A RATE OF DUTY "FREE"
FOLLOWED BY THE SYMBOL "L" IN PARENTHESES APPEARS IN THE "SPECIAL"
SUBCOLUMN FOR A HEADING OR SUBHEADING, ARTICLES CLASSIFIED IN SUCH
PROVISION (AND NOT DUTIABLE UNDER COLUMN 2) SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR ENTRY
FREE OF DUTY PROVIDED THAT SUCH ARTICLES ARE LISTED IN THE INTERMEDIATE
CHEMICALS FOR DYES APPENDIX TO THE TARIFF SCHEDULE."

IN ADDITION, OVER 10,000 CHANGES TO THE HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE
ARE EXPECTED. THIS INCLUDES NEW TARIFF NUMBERS, STAGED COLUMN 1
RATES, AS WELL AS STAGED RATE REDUCTIONS THAT ARE PROVIDED FOR IN THE
NORTH AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT(NAFTA), THE ISRAELI FREE TRADE
AGREEMENT, AND OTHER SPECIAL TRADE PROGRAMS.

GATT IS EXPECTED TO BE ENACTED IN DECEMBER. WE ANTICIPATE
RECEIVING THE COMPLETE INFORMATION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION SOON AFTER ENACTMENT. THE UPDATES WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE
TO THE IMPORT TRADE COMMUNITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BY ELECTRONIC
RETRIEVAL. A COMPLETE COPY OF THE 1995 HARMONIZED TARIFF SCHEDULE WILL
ALSO BE AVAILABLE ON MAGNETIC TAPE, AS REQUESTED. TO ORDER A COPY OF
THE 1995 HTS TAPE AN ORIGINAL SIGNED DISCLAIMER STATEMENT ALONG WITH THE
ORDER FORM MUST ACCOMPANY YOUR REQUEST. NOTE APPENDIX J OF THE CATAIR.

IF THE GATT IS NOT ENACTED, THEN THE 1995 HARMONIZED TARIFF
SCHEDULE, WITH THE NAFTA STAGED RATES AND OTHER CHANGES, WILL BE MADE
AVAILABLE IN THE USUAL MANNER.

WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PROGRAMMING THE AUTOMATED COMMERCIAL
SYSTEM TO ACCEPT ENTRIES DUTY FREE WITH THE SPI OF EITHER "K" OR "L",
PROVIDED THAT THE SPI'S ARE IN THE TARIFF FILE AND THE ENTRY DATE IS ON
OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 1995. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ABI FILERS MAKE THE
APPROPRIATE PROGRAM CHANGES IN ANTICIPATION OF THE ENACTMENT OF GATT.

IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS MESSAGE, PLEASE CONTACT
IRV FISHER, CHIEF, TARIFF COMPLIANCE BRANCH AT (202) 927-0241.