CLA-2-29:OT:RR:NC:N1:140

Mr. Noah Sondov-Gold
Gold Biotechnology, Inc.
1328 Ashby Road
St. Louis, MO 63132

RE: The tariff classification of Various Chemical Compounds from China and Switzerland

Dear Mr. Sondov-Gold:

In your letter dated May 15, 2018, you requested a tariff classification ruling. In your letter dated May 18, 2018, you requested a tariff classification ruling. You requested a binding Tariff classification ruling on the following five products. You indicate they are all used for research at laboratories and universities. You provided the following information on the five items under review.

Item 1 Spectinomycin Dihydrochloride Pentahydrate (also known as Spectinomycin, CAS # 22189-32-8) is an aminocyclitol antibiotic isolated from Streptomyces spectabilis. It is effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, but most commonly used against Gonococcus species. It has also been used to monitor cell fate during leaf development and as a selection marker in plants to display successful transformation of the Spcr gene. The product is imported as a white to off-white powder. The product's country of origin is China.

Item 2 2-(Cyclohexylamino) ethanesulfonic acid (also known as CHES, CAS # 103-47-9) is a zwitterionic buffering agent used in biochemistry and molecular biology. It is a cyclohexylamine buffer that is useful for a pH range of 8.6 – 10.0 and commonly used to study enzymatic processes above physiological pH. CHES displays only weak or negligible complexation capabilities for some metals making it a suitable non-coordinating buffer for use in most solutions containing metal ions. The product is imported as a white crystalline powder. The product's country of origin is China.

Item 3 Trans-Zeatin Riboside (CAS # 6025-53-2) is the most active and ubiquitous form of the naturally occurring cytokinins. Cytokinins promote cell division, stimulate shoot proliferation, inhibit root formation, slow the aging process, and activate gene expression and metabolic activity in general. CKs are recognized by a subset of sensor histidine kinases (HKs) and the signal is transmitted to the nucleus via a multistep phosphorelay (MSP), thus activating the expression of target genes. The product is imported as a white to off-white powder. The product's country of origin is China.

Item 4 Ribonuclease A (also known as RNase A, CAS # 9001-99-4) degrades single-stranded RNA at the C and U residues; therefore, RNase A is pyrimidine specific. Primary applications for RNase A, which is essentially protease free, are in plasmid DNA and genomic DNA purification, RNase protection assays, and RNA sequence analysis. The product is imported as a white to off-white lyophilized powder. The product's country of origin is China.

Item 5 Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 (also known as CBBG, CAS # 6104-58-1) is a member of the Coomassie family of triphenylmethane dyes and is used as a common analytical dye in SDS-PAGE and BN-PAGE. CBBG can also be used with the Bradford Method to determine protein concentration. The product is imported as a blue to red crystalline powder. The product's country of origin is Switzerland and China.

The applicable subheading for Spectinomycin Dihydrochloride Pentahydrate will be 2941.90.1050, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for "Antibiotics: Other: Natural: Other."  The rate of duty will be free.

The applicable subheading for the 2-(Cyclohexylamino) ethanesulfonic acid (CAS # 103-47-9) will be 2921.30.5000, HTSUS, which provides for "Cyclanic, cyclenic or cycloterpenic mono- or polyamines, and their derivatives; salts thereof: Other". The rate of duty will be 3.7 percent ad valorem.

The applicable subheading for the trans-Zeatin Riboside (CAS # 6025-53-2) will be 2934.99.3900 HTSUS, which provides for “Nucleic acids and their salts, whether or not chemically defined; other heterocyclic compounds: Other: Other: Aromatic or modified aromatic: Other: Other: Products described in additional U.S. note 3 to section VI.” The general rate of duty will be 6.5 percent ad valorem.

The applicable subheading for the Ribonuclease A (CAS # 9001-99-4) will be 3507.90.7000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for: Enzymes; prepared enzymes not elsewhere specified or included: Other. The rate of duty will be Free.

The applicable subheading for the Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 (CAS # 6104-58-1) will be 3204.16.5000, HTSUS, which provides for “Synthetic organic coloring matter, whether or not chemically defined; preparations as specified in note 3 to chapter 32 based on synthetic organic coloring matter; synthetic organic products of a kind used as fluorescent brightening agents or as luminophores, whether or not chemically defined: Reactive dyes and preparations based thereon: other.” The rate of duty will be 6.5 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 the World Wide Web at https://hts.usitc.gov/current.

These products may be subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and/or The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (The Bioterrorism Act), which are administered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Information on the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as well as The Bioterrorism Act, can be obtained by calling the FDA at 1-888-463-6332, or by visiting their website at www.fda.gov.

This merchandise may be subject to the requirements of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which are administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Information on the TSCA can be obtained by contacting the EPA at 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Mail Code 70480, Washington, D.C., by telephone at (202) 554-1404, or by visiting their website at www.epa.gov.

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 Paul Hodgkiss at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Steven A. Mack
Director
National Commodity Specialist Division