The International Trade Commission is requesting proposals to amend the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System with a view to keeping the HS current with changes in technology and trade patterns. Proposals will be reviewed by the ITC, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for potential submission as part of the eighth review cycle of the HS by the World Customs Organization.
Proposals, which the ITC suggests by submitted by Oct. 1, 2027, should focus on specific modifications to the HS (section and chapter notes and the texts of four-digit headings and six-digit subheadings) that would describe new products or technologies, modify or eliminate unclear or obsolete categories, or otherwise advance the goals set out by the HS Convention. 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.
The ITC states that it is particularly interested in proposals concerning the following.
- the deletion of HS headings or subheadings with low trade volume
- the creation of separate four-digit headings or six-digit subheadings to identify types of products that are important in international trade but are not adequately classified
- the simplification of the HS, whether by the modification of provisions for greater clarity or the elimination of provisions that are difficult to administer
- other changes that would improve the classification of products, especially those being exported from the U.S., or assist in the administration of the HS and the more uniform classification of goods internationally
No proposals for changes to U.S. national-level provisions (including Additional U.S. Notes, eight-digit subheadings, ten-digit statistical annotations, and rates of duty) will be considered as part of this review. The ITC notes that the implementation of any changes to the HS by the U.S. will be tariff neutral.
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