Importers Yellow Bird and Vantage Point filed a complaint at the Court of International Trade July 18 arguing that a 1955 Jaguar race car, driven in competitions by multiple Australian racing drivers, is a collector's item, not a used motor vehicle (Yellowbird Enterprises v. U.S., CIT # 24-00121).
Harmonized Tariff Schedule
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is a reference manual that provides duty rates for almost every item that exists. It is a system of classifying and taxing all goods imported into the United States. The HTS is based on the international Harmonized System, which is a global standard for naming and describing trade products, and consists of a hierarchical structure that assigns a specific code and rate to each type of merchandise for duty, quota, and statistical purposes. The HTS was made effective on January 1, 1989, replacing the former Tariff Schedules of the United States. It is maintained by the U.S. International Trade Commission, but the Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland Security is responsible for interpreting and enforcing the HTS.
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on brake drums from China and Turkey (A-570-174/C-570-175, A-489-853/C-489-854). The CVD investigations cover entries for the calendar year 2023. The AD investigation on Turkey covers entries April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024, and the AD investigation on China covers entries Oct. 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.
The Commerce Department issued a Federal Register notice on its recently initiated antidumping duty investigation on large top mount combination refrigerator-freezers from Thailand (A-549-853). The agency will determine whether imports of Thai refrigrator-freezers are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair value. The investigation covers entries from Thailand during the period April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2024.
The Commerce Department issued notices in the Federal Register on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on low-speed personal transportation vehicles from China (A-570-176/C-570-177). The CVD investigation covers entries Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2023. The AD investigation covers entries Oct. 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024.
A U.S. producer seeks the imposition of new antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of tungsten shot from China, it said in petitions filed July 9 with the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission. Commerce will now decide whether to begin AD/CVD investigations, which could result in the imposition of permanent AD/CVD orders on tungsten shot.
National Council of Textile Organizations CEO Kimberly Glas, speaking at a left-of-center think tank on trade policy, said that companies need to be able to file antidumping and countervailing duty cases without having to wait so long and pay so much money.
CBP created Harmonized System Update 2410 on July 11, containing 52 Automated Broker Interface (ABI) records and 15 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. The update includes the "latest Section 232 Mexico Aluminum and Steel updates and adjustments required by the verification of the 2024 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS)."
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called for a "legislative fix" to the de minimis exception "and the exploitation of that exception," the first time the administration has clearly said it hopes Congress will restrict the program that allows purchasers to import up to $800 worth of goods per day without paying tariffs.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of July 1-7:
Even though two jacket styles produced by manufacturer and supplier Youngone El Salvador met the tariff shift requirement of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), the jackets still aren't eligible for preferential tariff treatment because the visible lining was formed and finished in a country outside of member countries with the CAFTA-DR, CBP ruled recently.