Notice of Product Exclusion Amendment: China's Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation
| Citation | 85 FR 34798 |
| Record Number | 2020-12318 |
| Published date | 08 June 2020 |
| Section | Notices |
| Court | Trade Representative Office Of The United States |
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 110 (Monday, June 8, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 110 (Monday, June 8, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34798-34799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12318]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Notice of Product Exclusion Amendment: China's Acts, Policies,
and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property,
and Innovation
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Effective July 6, 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative imposed
additional duties on goods of China with an annual trade value of
approximately $34 billion as part of the action in the Section 301
investigation of China's acts, policies, and practices related to
technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation. The U.S.
Trade Representative's determination included a decision to establish a
product exclusion process. The U.S. Trade Representative initiated the
exclusion process in July 2018, and stakeholders have submitted
requests for the exclusion of specific products. In December 2018,
March, April, May, June, July, September, October, December 2019, and
February and May 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative issued
determinations to grant exclusion requests and issue amendments. This
notice announces the U.S. Trade Representative's determination to make
a technical amendment to one previously granted exclusion.
DATES: The technical amendment announced in this notice is retroactive
to the date of publication of the original exclusion and does not
extend the period for the original exclusion. U.S. Customs and Border
Protection will issue instructions on entry guidance and
implementation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general questions about this
notice, contact Assistant General Counsel Philip Butler or Director of
Industrial Goods Justin Hoffmann at (202) 395-5725. For specific
questions on customs classification or implementation of the product
exclusions identified in the Annex to this notice, contact
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
For background on the proceedings in this investigation, please see
prior notices including 82 FR 40213 (August 23, 2017), 83 FR 14906
(April 6, 2018), 83 FR 28710 (June 20, 2018), 83 FR 33608 (July 17,
2018), 83 FR 38760 (August 7, 2018), 83 FR 40823 (August 16, 2018), 83
FR 47974 (September 21, 2018), 83 FR 65198 (December 19, 2018), 83 FR
67463 (December 28, 2018), 84 FR 7966 (March 5, 2019), 84 FR 11152
(March 25, 2019), 84 FR 16310 (April 18, 2019), 84 FR 21389 (May 14,
2019), 84 FR 25895 (June 4, 2019), 84 FR 32821 (July 9, 2019), 84 FR
49564 (September 20, 2019), 84 FR 52567 (October 2, 2019), 84 FR 69016
(December 17, 2019), 85 FR 7816 (February 11, 2020), and 85 FR 28692
(May 13, 2020).
Effective July 6, 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative imposed
additional 25 percent duties on goods of China classified in 818 eight-
digit subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States (HTSUS), with an approximate annual trade value of $34 billion.
See 83 FR 28710. The U.S. Trade Representative's determination included
a decision to establish a process by which U.S. stakeholders could
request exclusion of particular products classified within an eight-
digit HTSUS subheading covered by the $34 billion action from the
additional duties. The U.S. Trade Representative issued a notice
setting out the process for the product exclusions and opened a public
docket. See 83 FR 32181 (the July 11 notice).
Under the July 11 notice, requests for exclusion had to identify
the product subject to the request in terms of the physical
characteristics that distinguish the product from other products within
the relevant eight-digit subheading covered by the $34 billion action.
Requestors also had to provide the ten-digit subheading of the HTSUS
most applicable to the particular product requested for exclusion, and
could submit information on the ability of U.S. Customs and Border
Protection to administer the requested exclusion. Requestors were asked
to provide the quantity and value of the Chinese-origin product that
the requestor purchased in the last three years. With regard to the
rationale for the requested exclusion, requests had to address the
following factors:
Whether the particular product is available only from
China and, specifically, whether the particular product and/or a
comparable product is available from sources in the United States and/
or third countries.
Whether the imposition of additional duties on the
particular product would cause severe economic harm to the requestor or
other U.S. interests.
Whether the particular product is strategically important
or related to ``Made in China 2025'' or other Chinese industrial
programs.
The July 11 notice stated that the U.S. Trade Representative would take
into account whether an exclusion would undermine the objective of the
Section 301 investigation.
The July 11 notice required submission of requests for exclusion from
the $34 billion action no later than October 9, 2018, and noted that
the U.S. Trade Representative periodically would announce decisions. In
December 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative granted an initial set of
exclusion requests. See 83 FR 67463. The U.S. Trade Representative
announced additional determinations in March, April, May, June, July,
September, October, and December 2019, and February and May 2020. See
84 FR 11152; 84 FR 16310; 84 FR 21389; 84 FR 25895; 84 FR 32821; 84 FR
49564; 84 FR 52567; 84 FR 69016; 85 FR 7816; and 85 FR 28692.
[[Page 34799]]
B. Technical Amendments to Exclusions
Subparagraph A of the Annex makes one technical amendment to U.S.
note 20(q)(131) to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the HTSUS, as set
out in the Annex of the notice published at 84 FR 49564 (September 20,
2019).
The U.S. Trade Representative will continue to issue determinations
on a periodic basis as needed.
Annex
A. Effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or
withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m.
eastern daylight time on July 6, 2018:
1. U.S. note 20(q)(131) to subchapter III of chapter 99 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is modified by deleting
``each valued over $20 but not over $35'' and inserting ``each valued
not over $35'' in lieu thereof.
Joseph Barloon,
General Counsel, Office of the United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2020-12318 Filed 6-5-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F0-P
