Archive for September, 2006

ELIMINATION OF TARIFFS ON CERTAIN PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS AND CHEMICAL INTERMEDIATES

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today released the results of its investigation providing information and advice to the President concerning approximately 1,300 pharmaceutical products and chemical intermediates used primarily for the production of pharmaceuticals for which the Administration is proposing to eliminate duties.

 

The products would be added to the Pharmaceutical Appendix to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which was created as part of the Uruguay Round Agreements and already covers approximately 8,250 products. The United States and 21 other major trading countries agreed during the Uruguay Round to eliminate duties on pharmaceuticals and to periodically conduct reviews to identify additional products to be covered by the initiative. If added to the Appendix, the 1,300 products included in the new ITC investigation would receive duty-free treatment.

 

The investigation, Advice Concerning the Addition of Certain Pharmaceutical Products and Chemical Intermediates to the Pharmaceuticals Appendix to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (Inv. No. 332-476), was requested by the U.S. Trade Representative in a letter received May 25, 2006. The ITC submitted its report to the USTR on September 1, 2006.

 

As requested, the ITC provided a description of the products contained in the existing Pharmaceutical Appendix and the modifications to be made to that Appendix; an explanation of the relationship between the various elements in the Appendix and the HTS; and an estimate of current U.S. imports and, where possible, current U.S. exports of the products included in the existing Pharmaceutical Appendix and the proposed additions to the Appendix, based on product groupings if necessary.

 

Advice Concerning the Addition of Certain Pharmaceutical Products and Chemical Intermediates to the Pharmaceutical Appendix to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (Investigation No. 332-476, USITC Publication 3883, September 2006) is available on the ITC’s Internet site at Http://Hotdocs.usitc.gov//docs/pubs/332/pub3883.pdf. A CD-ROM of the report may be requested by calling 202-205-2000 or by writing the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to 202-205-2104.

 

ITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Senate Committee on Finance, or the House Committee on Ways and Means. The resulting reports convey the Commission’s objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the ITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.