CLA-2-59:RR:NC:TA:350 G84182

Mr. Roy Sheldrick
Sheldrick’s Customs Remission Consulting Services Ltd.
92 Seneca Drive
Ancaster, Ontario L9G 3B8
Canada

RE: The tariff classification of papermaker’s felts for use in various sections (press and dryer units) of a paper making machine, from Canada.

Dear Mr. Sheldrick:

In your letter dated October 30, 2000, on behalf of Voith Fabrics, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, you requested a classification ruling. This is a follow up letter to your earlier request through the U.S. Customs port of Buffalo, New York.

This letter is written with respect to future shipments, and you say, to the best of your knowledge, there are no known ongoing transactions at the present time.

No samples representing the materials under question were provided. Technical literature from Porritts & Spencer, Canada, however, was supplied.

According to your correspondence, as well as a recent telephone conversation with this office, the various “belt” units for the paper making machinery will all be endless or fitted with linking devices and designed for specific machines. These “felts” are of a woven filament man-made fiber construction, or may include fulled woven fabrics. According to your literature, these felts measure 20 to 40 feet in width and run up to several hundred feet in length. A written note on one of the attachments states that one “felt” unit weighs 1,400 pounds.

The correspondence indicates that the press felt unit picks up the wet paper web from the forming section and aids in partial water removal as the wet web goes through the press section. The felt in the dryer section also helps in further water removal as it carries the paper web over the drying rolls. The felts can travel up to 6,000 feet per minute.

The applicable subheading suffix for these felts is predicated upon their respective weights and function within the paper making machines and are delineated as press felts, dryer felts and fabrics, fourdrinier cloth and other.

If weighing less than 650 g/m², the applicable subheading for the product will be 5911.31.00, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for ... textile fabrics and felts, endless or fitted with linking devices, of a kind used in papermaking or similar machines, weighing less than 650 g/m². The rate of duty will be 5.3 percent ad valorem. If weighing more than 650 g/m², the applicable subheading for the product will be 5911.32.00, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for ... textile fabrics and felts, endless or fitted with linking devices, of a kind used in papermaking or similar machines, weighing 650 g/m² or more. The rate of duty will be 5.3 percent ad valorem.

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 George Barth at 212-637-7085.

Sincerely,

Robert B. Swierupski
Director,
National Commodity
Specialist Division