CLA-2-84:OT:RR:NC:N1:104

Ms. Jody Hezoucky
Natural Fiber Producers
1552 Sanctuary Lane
Homedale, ID 83628

RE: The tariff classification of a Cashmere Dehairing Machine from Italy

Dear Ms. Hezoucky:

In your letter dated June 11, 2015 on behalf of your client, North American Alpaca Fiber Producers (NAAFP) dba Natural Fiber Producers, you requested a tariff classification ruling.

The cashmere dehairing line, Model DJR56, is said to consist of a cashmere dehairing machine together with its fiber feeder. The unit has a working width of 1500 mm. The cashmere dehairing machine processes co-mingled masses of fiber by removing the coarse hair from the soft underdown as the fibers pass through a series of dehairing heads on the machine. The machine allows the underdown to remain and pass through the machine while the coarse hair is removed. In your letter, you also request the classification of certain spare parts, i.e., metallic wire, flexible card clothing, and brush clothing.

In accordance with Note 4 to Section XVI, the applicable subheading for the Cashmere Dehairing line, Model DJR56, will be 8445.11.0000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for “Machines for preparing textile fibers, spinning, doubling or twisting machines and other machinery for producing textile yarns, textile reeling or winding (including weft winding) machines and machines for preparing textile yarns for use on the machines of heading 8446 or 8447: Machines for preparing textile fibers: Carding machines”. The rate of duty will be Free.

The applicable subheading for the flexible card clothing will be 8448.31.0000, HTSUS, which provides for “Auxiliary machinery for use with machines of heading 8444, 8445, 8446 or 8447 (for example, dobbies, Jacquards, automatic stop motions and shuttle changing mechanisms); parts and accessories suitable for use solely or principally with the machines of this heading or of heading 8444, 8445, 8446 or 8447 (for example, spindles and spindle flyers, card clothing, combs, extruding nipples, shuttles, healds and heald-frames, hosiery needles): Parts and accessories of machines of heading 8445 or of their auxiliary machinery: Card clothing”. The duty rate will be 3.3 percent ad valorem.

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/.

Your inquiry does not provide enough information for us to give a classification ruling on the brush clothing and metallic wire. Your request for a classification ruling should include the following: a sample of a piece of the subject shaped wire, details on the chemistry of the wire including carbon content, a step-by-step description of the manufacturing process and the thickness of each prospective shaped wire product or the range of thicknesses, details on the principal use of the shaped wire, e.g., designed for use only on this dehairing machine, used in non-carding application such as a loom tensioner to hold long pieces of fibers together or as an opener to rake fibers, etc. and descriptive literature on the brush clothing showing the clothing’s specifications and material of composition.

When this information is available, you may wish to consider resubmission of your request on the metallic wire and the brush clothing.

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 Patricia O’Donnell at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Gwenn Klein Kirschner
Director
National Commodity Specialist Division