Trade Compliance Seminar - Harmonized Tariff Schedule/Schedule B and NAFTA Rules of Origin and Documentation

This training program will offer participants an in-depth knowledge of harmonized tariff schedules and updates on import documentation and procedures. In addition, attendees will also be provided complimentary copies of reference books related to each topic.

Day 1 - Harmonized Tariff Schedule and Schedule B

The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is used by over 200 countries, territories, or customs unions around the world to assign a number to each product to establish the appropriate duty that should be paid when goods are imported into a country. The HTS is also used to determine whether goods are subject to quotas and free trade agreements. Proper classification is vital for establishing eligibility under many free trade agreements, ie. completion of the NAFTA Certificate of Origin for trade between U.S., Canada, and Mexico as well as trade agreements between the U.S. and Chile, Singapore, Australia, the Central America-Dominican Republic, Bahrain, Oman, Peru, S. Korea, Colombia, and Panama.

The Schedule B is unique to the United States and is used for reporting a number to the U.S. Census for exports from the United States to other countries.

This seminar will help to better understand, through simple examples and workshops, the rules that are required to classify products in the HTS or Schedule B. Importers or exporters can be subject to severe penalties if they use incorrect numbers for their imported or exported products. This seminar will assist in helping to minimize errors in classification of products and better prepare companies for import/export audits from the government.

• History and Legal Text of the HTS
• Structure of the Harmonized System
• Differences between HTS and Schedule B
• General Rules of Interpretation
• Additional U.S. Rule of Interpretation
• General Notes (summary of trade agreements and more)
• Classification Rulings
• Workshops (covering numerous products)

Day 2 - NAFTA Rules of Origin and Documentation

NAFTA is the largest free trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The NAFTA provides for the entry of goods duty-free into each of the countries provided that the goods meet the strict rules of origin in the agreement. A NAFTA Certificate of Origin is required for most goods that can qualify under the rules and must be completed by the exporter and in possession of the importer when the goods are entered into the importing country. Failure to know the rules and properly complete the NAFTA Certificate of Origin and maintain proper documentation can result in severe penalties.

This seminar will provide an overview of the NAFTA Agreement, Definitions of unique terms, Rules of Origin with examples, Annex 401 Rules of Origin, Instructions on completion of the NAFTA Certificate of Origin, Special provisions to qualify your goods, Origin verifications, Advance ruling procedures, Appeals, Country of origin marking rules, Recordkeeping, and Penalties, and the Status of Renegotiation.