Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 1998

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: Miscellaneous Trade Corrections Title II: Temporary Duty Suspensions; Other Trade Provisions Subtitle A: Temporary Duty Suspensions Subtitle B: Other Trade Provisions Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 1998 - Title I: Miscellaneous Trade Corrections - Makes various specified miscellaneous technical corrections to the Trade Act of 1974 and other specified Federal law involving: (1) abolishment of the East-West Foreign Trade Board; (2) repeal of the requirement that certain small vessels departing from a foreign port, or which visited a hovering vessel, carry a certificate for the importation into the United States of alcoholic spirits; (3) repeal of the exemption of documented tugs with a Great Lakes endorsement from certain entry and clearance requirements; and (4) conforming amendments to obsolete references to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Title II: Temporary Duty Suspensions; Other Trade Provisions - Subtitle A: Temporary Duty Suspensions - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to provide for temporary duty suspensions for: (1) specified chemicals and dyes variously through December 31, 1998, December 31, 1999, December 31, 2000, December 31, 2001, and December 31, 2002; (2) certain weaving machines through December 31, 1999; (3) certain manufacturing equipment through December 31, 2000; (4) a specified anti-HIV and anti-AIDS drug and anti-cancer drug through December 31, 2000; and (5) skating boots for use in the manufacture of in-line roller skates through December 31, 2000. (Sec. 2053) Reduces the duty, through December 31, 2000, on: (1) substrates of synthetic quartz or synthetic fused silica imported into the United States in bulk or in forms or packages for retail sale; (2) benzenepropanal, 4-(1,1-dimethylyethyl)-alpha-methyl; and (3) ethylene, tetrafluoro copolymer with ethylene (ETFE). (Sec. 2060) Grants duty-free treatment to ziram. Subtitle B: Other Trade Provisions - Amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to extend to certain fine jewelry certain trade benefits of insular possessions of the United States. (Sec. 2502) Provides for the tariff treatment for certain components of scientific instruments and apparatus, as well as the application of the domestic equivalency test to such components. (Sec. 2503) Directs the U.S. Customs Service to liquidate or reliquidate (refund duty on) certain entries made at Los Angeles, California, and New Orleans, Louisiana, in accordance with the final decision of the International Trade Administration for shipments entered between October 1, 1984, and December 14, 1987 (case number A- 274-001). (Sec. 2504) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to convene a working group of interested parties and, by March 31, 1999, publish regulations and, if necessary, submit legislation to the Congress, to modify and simplify the processing of finished petroleum derivatives drawback claims. (Sec. 2505) Amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to provide that packaging material produced in the United States (currently, any packaging material), which is used by the manufacturer or any other person on or for articles which are exported or destroyed, shall also be eligible for a refund (drawback) of 99 percent of any duty, tax, or fee imposed on the importation of such material used to manufacture or produce the packaging material. (Sec. 2506) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury, by January 1, 1999, to provide for the inclusion of commercial importation data from foreign-trade zones in the National Customs Automation Program (an automated and electronic system for processing commercial importations). (Sec. 2507) Permits the deferral (until sale) of duty payment on any large yacht (a vessel exceeding 79 feet in length and used primarily for recreation or pleasure) that is imported for sale at a boat show, if the importer of record: (1) certifies to the Customs Service that it is imported for sale at a boat show in the United States; and (2) posts a bond in an amount equal to twice the amount of the duty ordinarily owed on such yacht. (Sec. 2508) Directs the appropriate customs officer, within 30 days from the date an application for further review is filed with respect to a protest to a decision of the Customs Service, to allow or deny such application. Requires that any allowed protest be forwarded to the customs officer who will conduct the further review. (Sec. 2509) Authorizes the Customs Service, notwithstanding the fact that a valid protest was not filed, to reliquidate an entry to refund merchandise processing fees paid on goods qualifying under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) rules of origin for which no claim for preferential tariff treatment was made at the time of importation, provided that the importer meets certain conditions. (Sec. 2510) Authorizes the entry or withdrawal from a warehouse of international travel merchandise subject to a duty. (Sec. 2511) Revises requirements with respect to the five-year review by the administering authority and the International Trade Commission of countervailing duty or antidumping duty orders, notices of injury determination, or determinations to continue an order or suspension agreement. Excludes from the computation of the five-year period preceding such a review any period during which the importation of the subject merchandise is prohibited on account of U.S. imposition of certain sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act or other Federal law against the country in which such merchandise originates, if that country is not a member of the World Trade Organization.