***Cross-Reference Between the Harmonized System and TSUSA Schedule***



Description:



In 1989, the United States changed its system for collecting

disaggregate import (and export) data.  Prior to that year,

the import data were collected according to the Tariff Schedule

of the United States Annotated (TSUSA), whereas beginning in 1989

the data were collected according to the Harmonized System of

commodity classification.  The application of the Harmonized System

to U.S. imports is called the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS).



The file HS_TSUSA.ASC contains a cross-reference between the TSUSA

codes for 1987, and the HTS codes proposed at that time.  Since

the actual conversion from the TSUSA codes for U.S. imports and

the HTS codes occurred in 1989, so this file can be used to obtain

the linkage between a 1987 or 1988 TSUSA code, and the corresponding

HTS code in 1989.  (HTS codes that were introduced in years later

than 1989 would not be reflected in this cross-reference).



Record Layout:



The fields for HS_TSUSA.ASC are:



        Columns 1-9    - HTS code (9-digit)

        Columns 10-16  - TSUSA code (7-digit)



The records are sorted by HTS code.



Missing Values:



The first record of HS_TSUSA.ASC has a missing value (blank) for the HTS

code, with a TSUSA value of 3201900.  There are no other missing values.



Special Considerations:



This source for this cross-reference, USITC (1988), contains the following

explanatory notes:  "The cross-references are designed to assist the 

international trade community in translating a known classification

in the TSUSA into a likely classification under the HTS.  The use is

strongly cautioned against relying on the cross-reference in order to

determine legally appropriate tariff classifications under the HTS...

All TSUSA numbers have been aligned with at least one HTS subheading.

Similarly, all HTS subheadings have been referenced to at least one

TSUSA number or headnote.  Nevertheless, these cross-references

do not include all possible TSUSA/HTS combinations."



Most importantly, within the cross-reference each TSUSA code can

correspond to more than one HTS code, and vice-versa.  Thus, this

cross-reference DOES NOT give a unique correspondence between the

TSUSA and HTS.  It usefulness will depend on the particular

commodities than each researcher is interested in.



The USITC (1988) publication also provides the following information

concerning "special situations":



1.  Intangibles



Certain HTS subheadings (for example, 2716.00, 8901.10 and 8904.00)

have no equivalent TSUSA number since they describe goods listed in

general footnote 5 to the Tariff Schedules of the United States that

are identified as "intangibles."  Intangibles are articles not subject

to the provisions of the Tariff Schedule of the U.S.



In these cases, the code GHDNT5G is used in place of a TSUSA number.



2.  Certain woven fabrics



There are an enormous number of 7-digit TSUSA numbers between 320.01

through 331.98, many of which have very little trade.  In order to reduce

the complexity of the cross-reference, TSUSA numbers at the 5-digit

level are instead used for these commodities.



Even at the five digit level, the number of commodities is reduced

by consolidating the fourth and fifth digits.  For example, TSUSA items

320.01 through 320.09 are shown in the cross-reference under item

320.09.  In general, the fourth and fifth digits of the TSUSA items

have been replaced as follows:



Range of actual fourth         Fourth and fifth digits

and fifth digits               as shown in the cross-reference



        01-09 ......................... 09

        10-19 ......................... 19

        20-29 ......................... 29

        30-39 ......................... 39

        40-49 ......................... 49

        50-59 ......................... 59

        60-69 ......................... 69

        70-79 ......................... 79

        80-88 ......................... 89

        92-98 ......................... 99



With these fourth and fifth digits, the sixth and seventh digits for

the TSUSA numbers in the cross-reference are set at zero.



The treatment of TSUSA item 338.50 in the cross-reference is similar

to that of items 320.01 through 331.98, and the same adjustments apply.



3.  Watches and clocks



The tariff classification applicable to watches, clocks with watch

movements, and watch movements under the TSUSA were too convoluted to

apply the general principles for linking TSUSA and HTS.  As a result,

for these items certain numbers reported in the 7-digit TSUSA columns

are not actually TSUSA numbers, but are instead Census trade reporting

numbers.  At the same time, some 7-digit TSUSA numbers covering these

articles are not included in the listings.  These exceptions are as

follows:



(a)  All 7-digit numbers shown the in the TSUSA column beginning with

715 or 716.  These numbers, which cover watches and clocks with watch

movements, are the numbers used by Census in publishing import trade

statistics, rather than the TSUSA numbers used on Customs entry forms.



(b)  TSUSA numbers beginning with 716.37, 716.38, 716.39, 716.40,

716.45 and 719.  Of these numbers, which cover watch movements, only

those for which import trade was reported in the period 1983-86 are

listed.



Size: HS_TSUSA.ASC contains 27,248 records.



Source:



United States International Trade Commission (1988) "Continuity of 

Import and Export Trade Statistics After Implementation of the 

Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System:  Report to

the President on Investigation no. 332-250 under Section 332 of the

Tariff Act of 1930."  USITC Publication 2051, January 1988, 

Washington, D.C.



The data in HS_TSUSA.ASC was scanned from Annex II of this publication. 

Bruce Blonigen, Department of Economics, University of Oregon, 

arranged to have this scanning performed at the U.S. International 

Trade Commission.