On September 14, 2016, The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has rolled out a web page to provide information about how it plans to implement new duties related to the miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) process.
The Commission’s MTBInfo page can be found here: https://www.usitc.gov/mtbps
The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016 (AMCA) directs the USITC to establish a process for the submission and consideration of petitions for duty suspensions and reductions.
In the past, U.S. importers would request that Members of Congress introduce bills seeking to temporarily suspend or reduce tariffs on certain imports. The Commission would review and produce reports for Congress on each bill, and the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees would then combine the individual bills in a single MTB for Congressional consideration.
Under the AMCA, likely beneficiaries must now file a petition directly with the Commission. The Commission will publish and request public comment on the petitions received and issue preliminary and final reports recommending certain petitions for inclusion in an MTB for Congressional consideration.
The web page launched by the Commission is an information site and will be updated as new documents and information are released. The agency will post all key documents (notices, rules, etc.) on the page as they are issued, along with informational articles, tips for filing and commenting on MTB petitions, and other useful materials. Information on contacts is also provided on the page.
The USITC is building a web-based MTB portal to be used for filing and commenting on MTB petitions. The filing and commenting process will be entirely electronic; no paper submissions will be accepted. When the petition process launches on October 14, the MTB portal will become the main MTB page. In the meantime, the newly launched web page is where anyone interested in the process can turn for up-to-date information and access to documents.
Clients of Agathon Associates and subscribers to Agathon Associates' Trade Advisor Service can find an annotated version of the new MTB procedures, with background, explanatory test, and likely timeline at http://www.agathonassociates.com/textile-pri/mtb/114-hr-4923-Annotated.pdf. You will need to enter your username and password. If you do not know your username and password email David Trumbull at david@agathonassociates.com.
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