CLA-2-48:OT:RR:NC:2:234
Ms. Randi Keenan
Safariland, LLC
13386 International Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32218
RE: The tariff classification of a fingerprint ID book from United States
Dear Ms. Keenan:
In your letter dated February 23, 2012, you requested a tariff classification ruling.
The ruling was requested on the “Pocket Print Elimination Kit”. You submitted a sample of the item for our examination. The subject sample contains a pad of fifty removable, chemically treated sheets of paper and one yellow colored Teflon strip, chemically treated with trace amounts of ferric chloride. The items are stored in a tri-fold vinyl holder with a flap closure.
The chemically treated paper pad measures approximately 8 inches (w) x 3 inches (h) and is glued together on one side with a paperboard backing. The face of each page in the fingerprint pad is printed with a grid of ten boxes distinctly labeled for each finger of the right and left hands to properly identify fingerprints when taken from an individual. The back side of the pages is printed with captions and lined spaces to record case numbers, identifying demographics and signatures. The printed paper pad slips into an opening on the interior back cover of the vinyl holder. The interior flap closure contains a rectangular opening to hold the yellow Teflon pad which measures approximately 3½ (w) inches x 1¾ (h) inches. The flap closure slips into an opening in the exterior back side of the cover. There is a printed instruction label affixed in the center panel of the tri-fold cover between the two items. When used consecutively, after rolling the fingers over the chemically treated Teflon strip and chemically treated paper pad, respectively, the two components facilitate making the fingerprints. The exterior front cover of the tri-fold, vinyl holder is printed with the words POCKETPRINT® Fingerprint Elimination Kit Indicator” and the bottom edge of the front cover is also printed with “LE 46”, two company telephone numbers and the product website address. The complete “Pocket Print Elimination Kit” measures approximately 8 inches (w) x ½ inches (d) x 3½ inches (h). You state in your letter the product is used by law enforcement and crime scene investigators for the purpose of eliminating individual fingerprints at crime scenes.
The essential character of the product is imparted by the paper pad which is designed to record specific types of information.
The applicable subheading for the “Pocket Print Elimination Kit” will be 4820.90.0000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for other (than certain enumerated) articles of stationery, of paper or paperboard. The rate of duty will be Free.
Duty rates are provided for your convenience and are subject to change. The text of the most recent HTSUS and the accompanying duty rates are provided on World Wide Web at http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/.
This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 177 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 177).
A copy of the ruling or the control number indicated above should be provided with the entry documents filed at the time this merchandise is imported. If you have any questions regarding the ruling, contact National Import Specialist Albert Gamble at (646) 733-3037.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Russo
Director
National Commodity Specialist Division