The Commission shall keep the Harmonized Tariff Schedule under continuous review and periodically, at such time as amendments to the Convention are recommended by the Customs Cooperation Council for adoption, and as other circumstances warrant, shall recommend to the President such modifications in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate—

(1) to conform the Harmonized Tariff Schedule with amendments made to the Convention;

(2) to promote the uniform application of the Convention and particularly the Annex thereto;

(3) to ensure that the Harmonized Tariff Schedule is kept up-to-date in light of changes in technology or in patterns of international trade;

(4) to alleviate unnecessary administrative burdens; and

(5) to make technical rectifications.

In formulating recommendations under subsection (a), the Commission shall solicit, and give consideration to, the views of interested Federal agencies and the public. For purposes of obtaining public views, the Commission—

(1) shall give notice of the proposed recommendations and afford reasonable opportunity for interested parties to present their views in writing; and

(2) may provide for a public hearing.

The Commission shall submit recommendations under this section to the President in the form of a report that shall 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 shall 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 may not recommend any modification to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule unless the modification meets the following requirements:

The modification must—

(A) be consistent with the Convention or any amendment thereto recommended for adoption;

(B) be consistent with sound nomenclature principles; and

(C) ensure substantial rate neutrality.

(2) Any change to a rate of duty must be consequent to, or necessitated by, nomenclature modifications that are recommended under this section.

(3) The modification must not alter existing conditions of competition for the affected United States industry, labor, or trade.

(Pub. L. 100–418, title I, § 1205, Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1150.)