ITA Issues Final Rule on Steel Import Monitoring (Interim Final Rule Adopted Without Change)
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a final rule which finalizes without change a March 2005 interim final rule that extended and expanded the Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system until March 21, 2009.
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The ITA states that the purpose of the SIMA system is to provide statistical data on steel imports entering the U.S. seven weeks earlier than is otherwise publicly available. The data collected on the licenses are made available to the public in an aggregated form weekly after ITA review.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 03/15/05 and 03/16/05 news, 05031505 and 05031605, for Parts I and II of the BP summary of the interim final rule, Part I contained a list of products added to and dropped from licensing, etc. and Part II detailed licensing regulations.)
Listing of Subject Steel Products Updated to Reflect HTS Changes
Although it does not reprint the regulatory text, this final rule does contain an Annex listing those products subject to SIMA monitoring. ITA sources have confirmed that certain modifications have been made to the list of HTS numbers contained in the Annex due to the issuance of the July 1, 2005 HTS.
ITA to Adds Downstream Products to SIMA, Change Format & Display
In response to a number of comments received, the ITA states that it plans to make some changes in the monitoring section. The ITA intends to add certain downstream steel products, identified during the comment period. These additional products will be available on the SIMA import monitoring Web site and will cover publicly available data only. The ITA also intends to include export data and possibly domestic shipment data, which would provide an indicator of apparent consumption of steel in the U.S. In addition, the ITA plans to provide import data broken out by carbon, alloy, and stainless grades.
The ITA also notes that the import monitor's display of aggregate statistical tables and graphs of U.S. steel imports will be altered somewhat in response to comments received. ITA sources state that these changes largely concern display and formatting.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 06/03/05 news, 05060310, for BP summary of CBP memorandum on the expansion of the SIMA system, with additional products covered by SIMA effective June 9, 2005.)
ITA Contact - Kelly Parkhill (202) 482-3791
ITA Final Rule (D/N 040305083-5249-03, FR Pub 12/05/05) available athttp://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-23627.pdf