View Header

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release February 18, 2000

ANNEX

                    MODIFICATIONS TO THE HARMONIZED
                  TARIFF SCHEDULE OF THE UNITED STATES

     Effective with respect to goods entered, or withdrawn from

warehouse for consumption, on or after March 1, 2000, subchapter III of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is modified by inserting in numerical sequence the following new U.S. note, subheadings and superior text thereto, with the language inserted in the columns entitled "Heading/Subheading", "Article Description", "Rates of Duty 1-General", "Rates of Duty 1-Special", and "Rates of Duty 2", respectively.

      "10. For purposes of subheadings 9903.72.20 through 9903.72.25,
        inclusive, except as provided in this note, the term "line pipe"
        shall include (notwithstanding the provisions of other legal
        notes to the tariff schedule) welded "carbon quality" line pipe
        of circular cross section, of a kind used for oil and gas
        pipelines, whether or not stencilled, except as provided below.
        The term "carbon quality" applies to products in which (i) iron
        predominates, by weight, over each of the other contained
        elements, (ii) the carbon content is 2 percent or less, by
        weight, and (iii) none of the elements listed below exceeds the
        quantity by weight, respectively indicated:

           -- 1.80 percent or more of manganese, or

           -- 2.25 percent of silicon, or

           -- 1.00 percent of copper, or

           -- 0.50 percent or less of aluminum, or

           -- 1.25 percent of chromium, or

           -- 0.30 percent of cobalt, or

           -- 0.40 percent of lead, or

           -- 1.25 percent of nickel, or

           -- 0.30 percent of tungsten, or

           -- 0.10 percent of molybdenum, or

           -- 0.10 percent of niobium, or

           -- 0.15 percent of vanadium, or

           -- 0.15 percent of zirconium.

        The term "line pipe" does not include goods commonly described
        in commercial usage as arctic grade line pipe and defined as
        welded line pipe that--

        (a)  has an outside diameter of 114.3 mm or more and a wall
           thickness equal to or less than 19.05 mm;

        (b)  when subjected to a Charpy V-notch test performed at minus
           45.6 degrees Celsius or below applied to three specimens
           taken from the weld area, has a joules rating of no less than
           23.05 joules for each sample, with an average for all three
           at no less than 25.76 joules;

        (c)  using at least three samples, has a minimum average shear
           area of 85 percent in the base metal and 50 percent in the
           weld; and

        (d)  when subjected to a hydrogen induced cracking test to be
           performed as provided by National Association of Corrosion
           Engineers (NACE) TM0284 test with solution A, has a crack
           length ratio that does not exceed 15 percent, a crack
           sensibility ratio that does not exceed 2 percent, and a crack
           thickness ratio that does not exceed 5 percent."
         "   : Welded line pipe of a kind used for oil or gas          :
             : pipelines, of iron or steel, as defined in note 10 to   :
             : this subchapter (provided for in subheadings 7306.10.10 :
             : and 7306.10.50), all the foregoing except products of   :
             : Canada or of Mexico:                                    :
             : If entered during the period from March 1, 2000,        :
             :  through February 28, 2001, inclusive:                  :
 9903.72.20  :    In aggregate quantities from each supplying country  :
             :    not in excess of 8,164,663 kg, the foregoing the     :
             :    product of such country............................. :

                         :               :               :
                         : No change     : No change     : No change
                         :               :               :

             :                                                         :
 9903.72.21  : Other.................................................. :

                         : The rate      :               : The rate
                         :  provided in  :               :  provided in
                         :  the Rates of :               :  the Rates of
                         :  Duty 1       :               :  Duty 2
                         :  General      :               :  column
                         :  subcolumn    :               :  for the
                         :  for the      :               :  applicable
                         :  applicable   :               :  subheading
                         :  subheading   :               :  (7306.10.10
                         :  (7306.10.10  :               :  or
                         :  or           :               :  7306.10.50)
                         :  7306.10.50)  :               :  + 29%
                         :  + 19%        :               :

             :                                                         :
             : [Welded...(con.):]                                      :
             :  If entered during the period from March 1, 2001,       :
             :  through February 28, 2002, inclusive:                  :
 9903.72.22  :    In aggregate quantities from each supplying country  :
             :    not in excess of 8,164,663 kg, the foregoing the     :
             :    product of such country............................. :

                         :               :               :
                         : No change     : No change     : No change
                         :               :               :

             :                                                         :
 9903.72.23  : Other.................................................. :

                         : The rate      :               : The rate
                         :  provided in  :               :  provided in
                         :  the Rates of :               :  the Rates of
                         :  Duty 1       :               :  Duty 2
                         :  General      :               :  column
                         :  subcolumn    :               :  for the
                         :  for the      :               :  applicable
                         :  applicable   :               :  subheading
                         :  subheading   :               :  (7306.10.10
                         :  (7306.10.10  :               :  or
                         :  or           :               :  7306.10.50)
                         :  7306.10.50)  :               :  + 25%
                         :  + 15%        :               :

             :                                                         :
             : If entered during the period from March 1, 2002,        :
             :  through March 1, 2003, inclusive:                      :
 9903.72.24  :    In aggregate quantities from each supplying country  :
             :    not in excess of 8,164,663 kg, the foregoing the     :
             :    product of such country............................. :

                         :               :               :
                         : No change     : No change     : No change
                         :               :               :

             :                                                         :
 9903.72.25  : Other.................................................. :
                         : The rate      :               : The rate
                         :  provided in  :               :  provided in
                         :  the Rates of :               :  the Rates of
                         :  Duty 1       :               :  Duty 2
                         :  General      :               :  column
                         :  subcolumn    :               :  for the
                         :  for the      :               :  applicable
                         :  applicable   :               :  subheading
                         :  subheading   :               :  (7306.10.10
                         :  (7306.10.10  :               :  or
                         :  or           :               :  7306.10.50)
                         :  7306.10.50)  :               :  + 21%"
                         :  + 11%        :               :
                         :               :               :

# # #