Congress Opens The Gates To The Introduction Of
Bills For The Miscellaneous Tariff Bill

April 3, 2012

On March 30, 2012, the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee issued a press release that the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill process will commence. This is the process whereby various miscellaneous tariff bills, typically involving duty suspension or reduction for a particular product, are amalgamated into a “Miscellaneous Tariff Bill,” often referred to as the “MTB.” 

To be considered for inclusion in the MTB, an individual tariff bill must be introduced by a Congressional representative by April 30, 2012. In addition, the individual bill must a) be non-controversial, and b) result in a loss of revenue not to exceed $500,000. The House Ways and Means Committee initiates the MTB process.

Incorporated into the announcement was written guidance describing the MTB process, including the following:

1. After the April 30, 2012 deadline, the Committee will post on its website each bill under consideration (i.e., introduced) for inclusion in the MTB.
2. The Committee will post the requisite forms (i.e., the Bill Description Form, Preliminary Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Disclosure Form and Final Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Disclosure Form) that must be submitted to the Committee by each member introducing a bill.
3. Once all of the bills are posted, the Committee will issue an advisory that requests comments from the public on bills under consideration for inclusion in the MTB.
4. The Committee will post the public comments on the Committee websites after the comment period concludes.
5. The ITC, Commerce Department, and CBP will initiate relevant reviews after bills are introduced and will conduct reviews independently of each other.
6. The Committee will also post comments from the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and the Administration upon completion of their respective reviews and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scores.
7. After reviewing all of the information available, the Committee will determine whether a bill meets the requirements and thus is eligible for inclusion in the MTB. 

Importers should take advantage of this unique opportunity because MTBs are not considered every year by Congress. If you require advice or assistance with regard to this process, please contact us as soon as possible. The deadline for introducing these bills is less than a month away. 

If you have any questions about this or other customs issues, please contact Steve Spraitzar at steve.spraitzar@tuttlelaw.com or at (415) 288‑0427.

Stephen Spraitzar is an attorney with the Law Offices of George R. Tuttle in San Francisco.

Copyright © 2012 by Tuttle Law Offices. 

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