Statistical code and duty rate changes for 1 January 2015

Australian Customs and Border Protection Notice No. 2014/57 of 3 December 2014 notifies traders that the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has advised of changes to statistical codes in the Customs Tariff Working pages, from 1 January 2015, for tariff subheadings 7227.90.90, 7228.70.00, 7308.90.00, 7312.10.00, 7312.90.00.

In addition, The duty rates applying to certain TCF goods in Chapters 39, 40, 42, 58, 60, 61, 62, 63 and 96 of Schedule 3 of the Customs Tariff Act 1995 (Customs Tariff) will phase from 10% to 5% on 1 January 2015. The Developing Country rates for these goods will phase from 5% to Free.

Finally, Schedules 5, 6, 7 and 8 of the Customs Tariff specify phasing rates of duty for the following goods:

• Chilean grapes under the Chilean Free Trade Agreement;
• certain pharmaceutical goods under the US Free Trade Agreement;
• certain TCF goods under the US, Thai and Chilean FTAs and also under the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA);
• certain motor vehicles under the AANZFTA; and
• certain articles of bedding and similar furnishing under the US and Chilean FTAs.

These phasing rates of duty apply to goods entered for home consumption on and after 1 January 2015.