CLA-2-73:OT:RR:NC:N1:117

Chuyang Peng
JH Steel International Inc.
18815 Aldine Westfield
Houston, TX 77073

RE: The tariff classification of steel drywall studs from China

Dear Mr. Peng:

In your letter dated August 5, 2016 you requested a tariff classification ruling.

The products you intend to import are described as drywall steel studs to be used in partition walls in buildings to separate spaces. They are also used to hold in place windows, doors, siding, insulation and utilities, among other things. In addition, their use helps give shape to a building. The studs are stated to be made from light gauge cold-formed galvanized steel sheets that are processed by machine forming, cutting and punching to specific widths, flanges and shapes.

Chemistry on mill test reports submitted with your inquiry show the steel to be nonalloy. The method of production is shown to be cold-formed. Pictures submitted with your request show the studs to be “C” shaped, with cutouts specially prepared for building use.

The applicable subheading for the cold-formed steel studs will be 7308.90.9590 , Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for Structures (excluding prefabricated buildings of heading 9406) and parts of structures (for example, bridges and bridge sections, lock gates, towers, lattice masts, roofs, roofing frameworks, doors and windows and their frames and thresholds for doors, shutters, balustrades, pillars and columns) of iron or steel; plates, rods, angles, shapes, sections, tubes and the like, prepares for use in structures, of iron or steel: Other: Other: Other, Other: Other. The rate of duty will be free.

You have asked whether this product is subject to antidumping duties or countervailing duties (AD/CVD). Written decisions regarding the scope of AD/CVD orders are issued by the Enforcement and Compliance office in the International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce and are separate from tariff classification and origin rulings issued by Customs and Border Protection (CBP). You can contact them at http://trade.gov/enforcement/ (click on “Contact Us”). For your information, you can view a list of current AD/CVD cases at the United States International Trade Commission website at http://www.usitc.gov (click on “Antidumping and Countervailing Duty” under “Popular Topics” at the top of the screen), and you can search AD/CVD deposit and liquidation messages using CBP’s AD/CVD Search tool at http://addcvd.cbp.gov/.

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 https://hts.usitc.gov/current.

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 Mary Ellen Laker at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Steven A. Mack
Director
National Commodity Specialist Division