S 952119th CongressIn Committee

A bill to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide a uniform 8-digit subheading number for all whiskies.

Introduced: Mar 11, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This bill would standardize the tariff classification for all whiskies by creating a single eight-digit subheading (2208.30.00) in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) for whisky products, replacing the existing subheadings 2208.30, 2208.30.30, and 2208.30.60. It also directs the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) to add a set of statistical suffixes under that unified heading to distinguish whiskies by type (Irish/Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, and Other) and by container size (no more than 4 liters vs over 4 liters). The bill specifies the duty treatment as “Free” with an additional per-liter charge of $2.04 for whiskies. The changes would take effect for products entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption 15 days after enactment. In short, the bill aims to simplify and unify tariff treatment for all whiskies while enabling more granular statistical tracking.

Key Points

1Uniform eight-digit subheading: Strikes 2208.30, 2208.30.30, and 2208.30.60 and creates 2208.30.00 as the single heading for all whiskies, with the same level of description for 2208.50.00 in the structure.
2Duty rate: Whiskies would be classified as Free, plus a per-liter charge of $2.04 (the bill presents it as a separate line under the new heading).
3Statistical suffixes for granularity: The USITC would add suffixes to 2208.30.00 to distinguish by type and container size, including:
4- 2208.30.0010 Irish or Scotch in containers not over 4 liters
5- 2208.30.0015 Irish or Scotch in containers over 4 liters
6- 2208.30.0020 Bourbon in containers not over 4 liters
7- 2208.30.0025 Bourbon in containers over 4 liters
8- 2208.30.0030 Rye in containers not over 4 liters
9- 2208.30.0035 Rye in containers over 4 liters
10- 2208.30.0040 Other in containers not over 4 liters
11- 2208.30.0045 Other in containers over 4 liters
12Effective date: The amendments would apply to articles entered or withdrawn from warehouse on or after the date that is 15 days after enactment.
13Legislative status: Introduced in the Senate (S. 952) in the 119th Congress; referred to the Committee on Finance; sponsor noted as Mr. Cassidy (for himself, Mr. Peters, and Mr. McConnell).

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Importers and customs brokers handling whisky shipments: They would deal with a single main heading (2208.30.00) plus a set of suffixes for reporting and compliance, potentially simplifying some classifications while requiring familiarity with the new suffix structure.Secondary group/area affected- U.S. International Trade Commission and Customs and Border Protection: The USITC would be responsible for adding and maintaining the statistical suffixes; CBP would apply the revised subheading and suffixes at entry.- Whisky producers and distributors that import whiskies into the United States: Those relying on tariff classifications and duties would face the new uniform heading and the per-liter duty element, which could affect landed cost calculations and pricing for imported whiskies.Additional impacts- Trade statistics and data reporting: The suffix-based categorization would improve granularity in trade statistics for whiskies by type and container size, aiding trade analysis and policy evaluation.- Pricing and market effects: Even though the main duty is listed as Free, the $2.04 per liter charge could influence the landed cost of imports and downstream retail pricing for some whiskies, depending on how the per-liter charge is assessed and passed through.- Transitional considerations: Industry participants would need to adjust labeling, invoicing, and classification practices to align with the new 2208.30.00 heading and suffix codes once enacted.

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