What significant change did the Tariff Act of 1930 bring regarding the HTSUS?

The Tariff Act of 1930, also known as the Smoot-Hawley Tariff, introduced a significant change in how goods were classified for tariff purposes. One of its key provisions was the establishment of a new classification system for goods to facilitate more efficient tariff assessments and to better categorize imports as they entered the United States. This change laid the groundwork for the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which standardized the classification of traded goods based on a coherent set of rules and definitions.

The importance of this classification system cannot be understated, as it helps in determining the correct tariff rates while also ensuring compliance with trade regulations. The establishment of a structured approach to classification enhanced the administration of customs duties and played a critical role in the legislative framework that governs international trade. Thus, the Tariff Act of 1930 was instrumental in shaping the HTSUS by enforcing a new method of classifying goods.