Proposed Harmonized Tariff Schedule Modifications for 2028 WCO Amendments
Summary
The U.S. International Trade Commission has posted proposed recommendations to modify the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to conform with World Customs Organization amendments scheduled to take effect January 1, 2028. The proposals include subdividing HTS subheading 3004.90.92 for medicaments into nine new subheadings to accommodate additional statistical provisions. Interested federal agencies and the public may submit written comments by May 18, 2026. The Commission will transmit its final report to the President in December 2026.
“Interested federal agencies and the public are invited to submit written comments on the proposed recommendations by May 18, 2026.”
Companies that import goods subject to tariff classification should review the proposed concordance tables posted on the USITC website to identify whether their current HTS codes will change under the 2028 WCO amendments. The proposed subdivision of 3004.90.92 is particularly relevant for pharmaceutical importers and medicament distributors, as it could alter statistical reporting requirements and reporting categories for specific products.
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What changed
The U.S. International Trade Commission is soliciting public comments on proposed modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule under Investigation No. 1205-14. The modifications would conform the HTS to WCO-recommended amendments taking effect January 1, 2028. The Commission also proposes subdividing HTS subheading 3004.90.92 into nine new subheadings to address capacity constraints for statistical provisions on specific medicaments.
Importers, trade compliance professionals, and industry associations should review the proposed HTS code changes and submit comments by May 18, 2026 to influence the final recommendations before the report is transmitted to the President in December 2026. Companies that rely on specific medicament tariff classifications should pay particular attention to the proposed subdivision of subheading 3004.90.92.
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Apr 21, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Notice
Recommended Modifications in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule
A Notice by the International Trade Commission on 04/21/2026
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- Public Inspection Published Document: 2026-07753 (91 FR 21311) Document Headings ###### International Trade Commission
- [Investigation No. 1205-14]
AGENCY:
U.S. International Trade Commission.
ACTION:
Notice of proposed Commission recommendations to the President and invitation to interested federal agencies and the public to submit written comments on such proposed recommendations.
SUMMARY:
The Commission is seeking comments from interested Federal agencies and the public regarding proposed Commission recommendations to the President with respect to modifications to the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). The modifications would conform the HTS to recommended amendments adopted by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and that are scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2028.
DATES:
August 15, 2025: Publication in the Federal Register of notice of institution of this investigation.
April 17, 2026: Posting of the Commission's proposed recommendations on the Commission's website.
May 18, 2026: Deadline for interested federal agencies and the public to file written views with the Commission on the Commission's proposed recommendations.
December 2026 (actual date to be announced later): Transmittal of the Commission's report to the President.
ADDRESSES:
All Commission offices, including the Commission's hearing rooms, are located in the United States International Trade Commission Building, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC. All written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary to the Commission, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. The public record for this investigation may be viewed on the Commission's Electronic Docket Information System (EDIS) at http://www.usitc.gov/secretary/edis.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Daniel P. Shepherdson, Attorney-Advisor, Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements ((202) 205-2598, or Daniel.Shepherdson@usitc.gov) or Edward Petronzio, Nomenclature Analyst, Office of Tariff Affairs and Trade Agreements ((202) 205-1493, or Edward.Petronzio@usitc.gov). The ( printed page 21312) media should contact Jennifer Andberg, Office of External Relations ((202) 205-3404, or Jennifer.Andberg@usitc.gov). Hearing-impaired individuals may obtain information on this matter by contacting the Commission's TDD terminal at 202-205-1810. General information about the Commission is available by accessing the Commission website at www.usitc.gov. Persons with mobility impairments who will need special assistance in gaining access to the Commission should contact the Office of the Secretary at (202) 205-2000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: Section 1205(a) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the 1988 Act) (19 U.S.C. 3005(a)) requires that the Commission keep the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (Harmonized Tariff Schedule or HTS) under continuous review and periodically, at such times as amendments are recommended for adoption, and as other circumstances warrant, recommend to the President such modifications to the HTS as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate to conform the HTS with amendments made to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Convention), which contains the Harmonized System in the Annex to the Convention.
On June 28, 2025, the World Customs Organization (WCO) adopted recommended amendments to the Harmonized System, and these amendments are scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2028. The Commission has posted a copy of the WCO amendments on its website at https://www.usitc.gov/harmonizedtariffinformation/section_1205. On August 15, 2025, the Commission instituted Investigation No. 1205-14 to prepare recommendations for such modifications to the HTS as it considers necessary or appropriate to conform the HTS with such amendments to the Harmonized System.
As part of this investigation, the Commission will also consider whether it is necessary or appropriate to recommend a modification to the HTS that would subdivide a subheading for medicaments. Currently, HTS subheading 3004.90.92 has more than 70 subordinate statistical provisions for specific medicaments. Given that each statistical provision is assigned a unique 10-digit number (e.g., 3004.90.9201, 3004.90.9202, 3004.90.9203, etc...), there are limits to how many more statistical provisions for medicaments can be established in the future. In anticipation of a continuing demand from the private sector for statistical provisions for specific medicaments, the Commission is recommending that HTS subheading 3004.90.92 be subdivided into nine new HTS subheadings. The creation of nine new HTS subheadings will allow the establishment of additional statistical provisions for specific medicaments under the new subheadings.
An up-to-date copy of the HTS, which incorporates the current Harmonized System in its overall structure, is available on the Commission's website at https://hts.usitc.gov/.
Proposed Recommendations, Opportunity to Comment: The Commission's proposed recommendations relating to Investigation No. 1205-14 have been posted on the Commission's website at https://www.usitc.gov/harmonizedtariffinformation/section1205/investigation1205-14. Interested federal agencies and the public are invited to submit written comments on the proposed recommendations by May 18, 2026. To assist the public in understanding the proposed changes and in developing comments, the Commission has included, with the proposed recommendations, non-authoritative concordance tables linking the proposed tariff codes to the corresponding current tariff codes. Persons using the concordance tables should be aware that the cross-references shown are subject to change during the course of the investigation.
Written Submissions: Interested federal agencies and the public are invited to file written submissions concerning the proposed recommendations. All written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary, and should be received not later than 5:15 p.m., May 18, 2026. All written submissions must conform with the provisions of§ 201.8 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.8). Section 201.8 and the Commission's Handbook on Filing Procedures require that interested parties file documents electronically on or before the filing deadline. Submissions should refer to the docket number (“Docket No. 1205-014”) in a prominent place on the cover page and/or the first page. (See Handbook for Electronic Filing Procedures, Electronic Filing Procedures). Persons with questions regarding filing should contact the Secretary (202-205-2000). Any submissions that contain confidential business information (CBI) must also conform with the requirements of § 201.6 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR 201.6). Section 201.6 of the rules requires that the cover of the document and the individual pages be clearly marked as to whether they are the “confidential” or “non-confidential” version, and that the confidential business information be clearly identified by means of brackets. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be made available for inspection by interested parties. The Commission may include some or all of the confidential business information submitted in the course of this investigation in the report it sends to the President and the U.S. Trade Representative. The Commission will otherwise not publish any confidential business information in a manner that would reveal the operations of the firm supplying the information.
Recommendations to the President: The Commission will submit its recommended modifications to the President in the form of a report that will include a summary of the information on which the recommendations were based, together with a statement of the probable economic effect of each recommended change on any industry in the United States. The report also will include a copy of all written views submitted by interested federal agencies and a copy or summary, prepared by the Commission, of the views of all other interested parties. The Commission expects to submit that report in December 2026.
By order of the Commission.
Issued: April 17, 2026.
Lisa Barton,
Secretary to the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2026-07753 Filed 4-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7020-02-P
Published Document: 2026-07753 (91 FR 21311)
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