Every five years, the World Customs Organization (WCO) makes
changes to the global Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). The U.S.,
as a contracting party to the convention, is obligated to amend its
HTS to reflect the changes. Currently, the U.S. International Trade
Commission (ITC) has posted the preliminary 2012 HTSUS on its
website, available at: http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/index.htm.
The 2012 HTSUS changes will take effect on February 3, 2012,
based upon Presidential Proclamation 8771, which was signed on
January 4, 2012. The ITC official HTSUS 2012 schedule will reflect
changes made by the WCO as well as changes requested by U.S.
Customs and Border Protection to continue existing duty treatment
for certain goods and reflect changes in the free trade agreements
in force, which are further summarized below. The proposed
WCO-related changes to the 2012 tariff schedule have been published
and are available at: http://www.usitc.gov/tariff_affairs/hts_documents/pub_4276_Co
