On July 8, 2019, the U.S. International Trade Commission published in the Federal Register (84 FR 32472 Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) Petition System; Submission of Petition and Comment Forms for OMB Review.
Since 1982, nearly every Congress has passed legislation to temporarily reduce or suspend tariffs on certain imported products and make technical corrections to U.S. tariff laws. Although the official title of the bill varies from year to year, it is usually referred to simply as the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill ("MTB") The duty suspensions and reductions are designed to boost the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers by lowering the cost of imported inputs without harming domestic firms that produce competing products. In addition, in the case of finished goods, MTBs similarly reduce costs for consumers where there is no domestic production and thus no impact on domestic firms. Overall, the tariff relief contained in MTBs is designed both to be broadly available to any entity that imports and pays duties pursuant to the specified tariff heading and to benefit downstream producers, purchasers, and consumers.
To be included in the MTB, a tariff modification (e.g. duty suspension or reduction) must:
- be non-controversial,
- cost under $500,000 per year, and
- be administrable.
One of the services of Agathon Associates is assistance in determining whether a company can save on import duties through an MTB filings and assistance with drafting and filing the petition. For more information email David Trumbull at david@agathonassociates.com.
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