Possible Modifications to the International Harmonized System Nomenclature, 5118-5119 [2010-1913]

Download as PDF 5118 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 20 / Monday, February 1, 2010 / Notices national markets (including barriers to importation in foreign markets or changes in market demand abroad). Demand conditions to consider include end uses and applications; the existence and availability of substitute products; and the level of competition among the Domestic Like Product produced in the United States, Subject Merchandise produced in the Subject Country, and such merchandise from other countries. (13) (OPTIONAL) A statement of whether you agree with the above definitions of the Domestic Like Product and Domestic Industry; if you disagree with either or both of these definitions, please explain why and provide alternative definitions. Authority: This review is being conducted under authority of title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930; this notice is published pursuant to section 207.61 of the Commission’s rules. By order of the Commission. Issued: January 26, 2010. Marilyn R. Abbott, Secretary to the Commission. [FR Doc. 2010–1836 Filed 1–29–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7020–02–P INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION [Docket No. 1210–5] Possible Modifications to the International Harmonized System Nomenclature jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission. ACTION: Request for proposals to amend the international Harmonized System. SUMMARY: The Commission is requesting proposals from interested persons and agencies to amend the international Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System) in connection with the Fifth Review Cycle of the World Customs Organization (WCO), with a view to keeping the Harmonized System current with changes in technology and trade patterns. The proposals will be reviewed by the Commission, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Bureau of the Census) for potential submission by the U.S. Government to the WCO in Brussels, Belgium. DATES: November 1, 2010: Deadline for submissions. ADDRESSES: All Commission offices are located in the United States International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, DC. All written VerDate Nov<24>2008 18:35 Jan 29, 2010 Jkt 220001 submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, United States International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW., Washington, DC 20436. The public record for this collection of proposals may be viewed on the Commission’s electronic docket (EDIS) at https:// www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Beck, Director, Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements (202– 205–2603, fax 202–205–2616, david.beck@usitc.gov). The media should contact Margaret O’Laughlin, Office of External Affairs (202–205– 1819, margaret.olaughlin@usitc.gov). Hearing impaired individuals may obtain information on this matter by contacting the Commission’s TDD terminal at 202–205–1810. General information concerning the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its Internet Web site (https://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. Background: Section 1210 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the 1988 Act) (19 U.S.C. 3010) designates the Commission, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Department of Commerce, subject to the policy direction of the Office of U.S. Trade Representative, as the principal agencies responsible for formulating U.S. Government positions on technical and procedural issues and in representing the U.S. Government in activities of the World Customs Organization (WCO) relating to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, informally known as the Harmonized System (HS). The U.S. Trade Representative subsequently designated the Commission to lead the U.S. delegation to the HS Review SubCommittee (RSC), which is responsible for considering amendments to the HS in order to keep the HS current with changes in technology and patterns of international trade (see 53 FR 45646, Nov. 10, 1988). Through this notice the Commission is seeking proposals to amend the HS in connection with the Fifth Review Cycle of the HS Review Sub-Committee of the WCO. Proposals received will be made a part of the Commission’s record keeping system and available for public inspection (with the exception of any confidential business information) through the Commission’s record files and through the Commission’s electronic docket (EDIS). The Commission has designated this notice PO 00000 Frm 00086 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 as number five in the series and is in the process of adding available notices and submissions from the four prior instances in which it requested such proposals under section 1210 of the 1988 Act. By way of further background, shortly after implementation of the international Harmonized System (HS) in 1988, the WCO’s HS Review SubCommittee (RSC) began a series of systematic reviews of the HS. Four such reviews have been completed, resulting in WCO Recommendations that countries using the HS update their national tariffs to reflect international amendments. The Fifth Review Cycle has begun, with a view to examining proposals to amend the HS, for inclusion in a WCO Recommendation to be issued in June 2014 and targeted implementation of amendments on January 1, 2017. The HS was established by an international convention, which, inter alia, provides that the HS should be kept up to date in light of changes in technology and patterns of international trade. The HS Nomenclature, which is maintained by the WCO, provides a uniform structural basis for the customs tariffs and statistical nomenclatures of all major trading countries of the world, including the United States. An up-to-date copy of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which incorporates the international HS in its overall structure, can be found on the Commission’s Web site (https:// www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/ index.htm). 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 https://www.gpoaccess.gov/fdlp.html or by contacting GPO Access at the Government Printing Office, 866–512– 1800. The international HS comprises the broadest levels of categories in the HTS, that is, the General Rules for the Interpretation of the Nomenclature, Section and Chapter titles, Section and Chapter legal notes, and heading and subheading texts to the 6-digit level of detail. Additional U.S. Notes, further subdivisions (8-digit subheadings and 10-digit statistical annotations) and statistical notes, as well as the entirety of chapters 98 and 99 and several appendixes, are national legal and statistical detail added for the administration of the U.S. tariff and statistical programs and are not part of the international HS review process that is the subject of this notice. E:\FR\FM\01FEN1.SGM 01FEN1 jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 20 / Monday, February 1, 2010 / Notices Request for Proposals: The Commission is seeking proposals for specific modifications to the international Harmonized System (including the rules of interpretation, section and chapter notes, and the texts of 4-digit headings and 6-digit subheadings) that will further the goals set out by the HS Convention. No proposals for changes to U.S. nationallevel provisions (including Additional U.S. Notes, 8-digit subheadings, 10-digit statistical annotations, and rates of duty) will be considered by the Commission as part of this review. Interested parties, associations, and government agencies should submit specific language for proposed amendments to the HS, together with appropriate descriptive comments and, to the extent available, relevant trade data. As part of this review, the Commission particularly invites proposals concerning the following matters: • The deletion of HS headings or subheadings with low trade volume, • The separate identification of new products important in international trade, and/or • The simplification of the HS, e.g., by the elimination of classification provisions that are difficult to administer. As indicated above, no proposals for changes to national-level provisions (including Additional U.S. Notes, U.S. 8-digit subheadings, statistical annotations, and rates of duty) will be considered by the Commission as part of this review. The changes in the international HS that will result from this Fifth Review Cycle of the WCO are not intended to affect tariff rates. Proposals received will be considered by the interagency U.S. delegation to the WCO’s HS Review Sub-Committee. Should the WCO later make recommendations as part the Fifth Review Cycle, the Commission will undertake a review and make recommendations to the President in accordance with section 1205 of the 1988 Act. The Commission will publish a notice and seek the views of interested parties in connection with any such review. This notice does not solicit proposals for changes to the HS Explanatory Notes, which are maintained by the WCO. However, requests for changes to the Explanatory Notes (not arising from proposed legal amendments to the HS) may be sent by a WCO member administration directly to the WCO’s Harmonized System Committee (the parent committee to the RSC) at any time; government and private sector parties interested in such action should VerDate Nov<24>2008 18:35 Jan 29, 2010 Jkt 220001 contact the Commission (see contacts above) or the following contacts at U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Myles B. Harmon, Director, Commercial & Trade Facilitation Division, 202–325– 0060, or Gail Hamill, Chief, Tariff Classification & Marking Branch, 202– 325–0010. Written Submissions: Interested persons and agencies are invited to submit written proposals, which should be addressed to the Secretary and received no later than November 1, 2010. Submissions should be marked with a reference to ‘‘Docket No. 1210–5’’. All written submissions must conform with the provisions of section 201.8 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.8). Section 201.8 requires that a signed original (or a copy so designated) and fourteen (14) copies of each document be filed. In the event that confidential treatment of a document is requested, at least four (4) additional copies must be filed, in which the confidential information must be deleted (see the following paragraph for further information regarding confidential business information). The Commission’s rules authorize filing submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or electronic means only to the extent permitted by section 201.8 of the rules (see Handbook for Electronic Filing Procedures, https:// www.usitc.gov/secretary/ fed_reg_notices/rules/documents/ handbook_on_electronic_filing.pdf). Persons with questions regarding electronic filing should contact the Secretary (202–205–2000). Any submissions that contain confidential business information must also conform with the requirements of section 201.6 of the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.6). Section 201.6 of the rules requires that the cover of the document and the individual pages be clearly marked as to whether they are the ‘‘confidential’’ or ‘‘non-confidential’’ version, and that the confidential business information be clearly identified by means of brackets. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be made available for inspection by interested parties. Confidential business information received in the proposals may be made available to Customs and Census during the examination of these proposals. The Commission will not otherwise publish or release any confidential business information received, nor release it to other government agencies or other persons. By order of the Commission. PO 00000 Frm 00087 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 5119 Issued: January 26, 2010. Marilyn R. Abbott, Secretary to the Commission. [FR Doc. 2010–1913 Filed 1–29–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7020–02–P DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives [OMB Number 1140–0007] Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested ACTION: 30-Day Notice of Information Collection Under Review: Release and Receipt of Imported Firearms, Ammunition and Implements of War. The Department of Justice (DOJ), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. The proposed information collection is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register Volume 74, Number 228, page 62597– 62598, on November 30, 2009, allowing for a 60-day comment period. The purpose of this notice is to allow for an additional 30 days for public comment until March 3, 2010. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10. Written comments and/or suggestions regarding the items contained in this notice, especially the estimated public burden and associated response time, should be directed to The Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention Department of Justice Desk Officer, Washington, DC 20503. Additionally, comments may be submitted to OMB via facsimile to (202) 395–5806. Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected agencies concerning the proposed collection of information are encouraged. Your comments should address one or more of the following four points: —Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; —Evaluate the accuracy of the agencies estimate of the burden of the E:\FR\FM\01FEN1.SGM 01FEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 20 (Monday, February 1, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5118-5119]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-1913]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

[Docket No. 1210-5]


Possible Modifications to the International Harmonized System 
Nomenclature

AGENCY: United States International Trade Commission.

ACTION: Request for proposals to amend the international Harmonized 
System.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Commission is requesting proposals from interested persons 
and agencies to amend the international Harmonized Commodity 
Description and Coding System (Harmonized System) in connection with 
the Fifth Review Cycle of the World Customs Organization (WCO), with a 
view to keeping the Harmonized System current with changes in 
technology and trade patterns. The proposals will be reviewed by the 
Commission, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department 
of Commerce (Bureau of the Census) for potential submission by the U.S. 
Government to the WCO in Brussels, Belgium.

DATES: November 1, 2010: Deadline for submissions.

ADDRESSES: All Commission offices 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 collection of 
proposals may be viewed on the Commission's electronic docket (EDIS) at 
https://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Beck, Director, Office of Tariff 
Affairs and Trade Agreements (202-205-2603, fax 202-205-2616, 
david.beck@usitc.gov). The media should contact Margaret O'Laughlin, 
Office of External Affairs (202-205-1819, 
margaret.olaughlin@usitc.gov). Hearing impaired individuals may obtain 
information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal 
at 202-205-1810. General information concerning the Commission may also 
be obtained by accessing its Internet Web site (https://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.
    Background: Section 1210 of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness 
Act of 1988 (the 1988 Act) (19 U.S.C. 3010) designates the Commission, 
the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Department of 
Commerce, subject to the policy direction of the Office of U.S. Trade 
Representative, as the principal agencies responsible for formulating 
U.S. Government positions on technical and procedural issues and in 
representing the U.S. Government in activities of the World Customs 
Organization (WCO) relating to the International Convention on the 
Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, informally known as 
the Harmonized System (HS). The U.S. Trade Representative subsequently 
designated the Commission to lead the U.S. delegation to the HS Review 
Sub-Committee (RSC), which is responsible for considering amendments to 
the HS in order to keep the HS current with changes in technology and 
patterns of international trade (see 53 FR 45646, Nov. 10, 1988).
    Through this notice the Commission is seeking proposals to amend 
the HS in connection with the Fifth Review Cycle of the HS Review Sub-
Committee of the WCO. Proposals received will be made a part of the 
Commission's record keeping system and available for public inspection 
(with the exception of any confidential business information) through 
the Commission's record files and through the Commission's electronic 
docket (EDIS). The Commission has designated this notice as number five 
in the series and is in the process of adding available notices and 
submissions from the four prior instances in which it requested such 
proposals under section 1210 of the 1988 Act.
    By way of further background, shortly after implementation of the 
international Harmonized System (HS) in 1988, the WCO's HS Review Sub-
Committee (RSC) began a series of systematic reviews of the HS. Four 
such reviews have been completed, resulting in WCO Recommendations that 
countries using the HS update their national tariffs to reflect 
international amendments. The Fifth Review Cycle has begun, with a view 
to examining proposals to amend the HS, for inclusion in a WCO 
Recommendation to be issued in June 2014 and targeted implementation of 
amendments on January 1, 2017.
    The HS was established by an international convention, which, inter 
alia, provides that the HS should be kept up to date in light of 
changes in technology and patterns of international trade. The HS 
Nomenclature, which is maintained by the WCO, provides a uniform 
structural basis for the customs tariffs and statistical nomenclatures 
of all major trading countries of the world, including the United 
States.
    An up-to-date copy of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United 
States (HTS), which incorporates the international HS in its overall 
structure, can be found on the Commission's Web site (https://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/bychapter/index.htm). 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 https://www.gpoaccess.gov/fdlp.html or by contacting GPO Access at the 
Government Printing Office, 866-512-1800.
    The international HS comprises the broadest levels of categories in 
the HTS, that is, the General Rules for the Interpretation of the 
Nomenclature, Section and Chapter titles, Section and Chapter legal 
notes, and heading and subheading texts to the 6-digit level of detail. 
Additional U.S. Notes, further subdivisions (8-digit subheadings and 
10-digit statistical annotations) and statistical notes, as well as the 
entirety of chapters 98 and 99 and several appendixes, are national 
legal and statistical detail added for the administration of the U.S. 
tariff and statistical programs and are not part of the international 
HS review process that is the subject of this notice.

[[Page 5119]]

    Request for Proposals: The Commission is seeking proposals for 
specific modifications to the international Harmonized System 
(including the rules of interpretation, section and chapter notes, and 
the texts of 4-digit headings and 6-digit subheadings) that will 
further the goals set out by the HS Convention. No proposals for 
changes to U.S. national-level provisions (including Additional U.S. 
Notes, 8-digit subheadings, 10-digit statistical annotations, and rates 
of duty) will be considered by the Commission as part of this review. 
Interested parties, associations, and government agencies should submit 
specific language for proposed amendments to the HS, together with 
appropriate descriptive comments and, to the extent available, relevant 
trade data.
    As part of this review, the Commission particularly invites 
proposals concerning the following matters:
     The deletion of HS headings or subheadings with low trade 
volume,
     The separate identification of new products important in 
international trade, and/or
     The simplification of the HS, e.g., by the elimination of 
classification provisions that are difficult to administer.
    As indicated above, no proposals for changes to national-level 
provisions (including Additional U.S. Notes, U.S. 8-digit subheadings, 
statistical annotations, and rates of duty) will be considered by the 
Commission as part of this review. The changes in the international HS 
that will result from this Fifth Review Cycle of the WCO are not 
intended to affect tariff rates.
    Proposals received will be considered by the interagency U.S. 
delegation to the WCO's HS Review Sub-Committee. Should the WCO later 
make recommendations as part the Fifth Review Cycle, the Commission 
will undertake a review and make recommendations to the President in 
accordance with section 1205 of the 1988 Act. The Commission will 
publish a notice and seek the views of interested parties in connection 
with any such review.
    This notice does not solicit proposals for changes to the HS 
Explanatory Notes, which are maintained by the WCO. However, requests 
for changes to the Explanatory Notes (not arising from proposed legal 
amendments to the HS) may be sent by a WCO member administration 
directly to the WCO's Harmonized System Committee (the parent committee 
to the RSC) at any time; government and private sector parties 
interested in such action should contact the Commission (see contacts 
above) or the following contacts at U.S. Customs and Border Protection: 
Myles B. Harmon, Director, Commercial & Trade Facilitation Division, 
202-325-0060, or Gail Hamill, Chief, Tariff Classification & Marking 
Branch, 202-325-0010.
    Written Submissions: Interested persons and agencies are invited to 
submit written proposals, which should be addressed to the Secretary 
and received no later than November 1, 2010. Submissions should be 
marked with a reference to ``Docket No. 1210-5''. All written 
submissions must conform with the provisions of section 201.8 of the 
Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.8). Section 
201.8 requires that a signed original (or a copy so designated) and 
fourteen (14) copies of each document be filed. In the event that 
confidential treatment of a document is requested, at least four (4) 
additional copies must be filed, in which the confidential information 
must be deleted (see the following paragraph for further information 
regarding confidential business information). The Commission's rules 
authorize filing submissions with the Secretary by facsimile or 
electronic means only to the extent permitted by section 201.8 of the 
rules (see Handbook for Electronic Filing Procedures, https://www.usitc.gov/secretary/fed_reg_notices/rules/documents/handbook_on_electronic_filing.pdf). Persons with questions regarding 
electronic filing should contact the Secretary (202-205-2000).
    Any submissions that contain confidential business information must 
also conform with the requirements of section 201.6 of the Commission's 
Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.6). Section 201.6 of the 
rules requires that the cover of the document and the individual pages 
be clearly marked as to whether they are the ``confidential'' or ``non-
confidential'' version, and that the confidential business information 
be clearly identified by means of brackets. All written submissions, 
except for confidential business information, will be made available 
for inspection by interested parties. Confidential business information 
received in the proposals may be made available to Customs and Census 
during the examination of these proposals. The Commission will not 
otherwise publish or release any confidential business information 
received, nor release it to other government agencies or other persons.

    By order of the Commission.

    Issued: January 26, 2010.
Marilyn R. Abbott,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2010-1913 Filed 1-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P
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