CLA-2-85:OT:RR:NC:1:110
Mr. Peter T. Middleton
Middleton & Shrull
Attorneys At Law
50 Mall Road, Suite 205
Burlington, MA 01803-4508
RE: The tariff classification of printed circuit board connectors from Germany.
Dear Mr. Middleton:
In your letter dated August 27, 2010, you requested a tariff classification ruling on behalf of your client, ept, inc. Samples of the connectors were submitted with your ruling request and will be returned to you.
The merchandise under consideration consists of two types of Interconnection devices identified as the DKG 250 Interconnector and Motorconnector. From the samples and information you provided with your ruling request, the Interconnection devices are board to board printed circuit board (PCB) connectors. The connectors are made of plastic with tin plated copper terminals. The plastic bodies of both connectors measure approximately 1 inch wide by ? of an inch deep and ? of an inch high. The Interconnector features three rows of 10 press-fit terminal pins on the top and bottom. The Motorconnector features 25 press-fit terminal pins on the bottom and 16 press-fit terminal pins on the top, with the addition of 3 spade terminal blades.
Board to board connectors are used in PCB “Stacking” applications, which is joining two PCBs together to form both an electrical and mechanical connection. Each individual press-fit terminal on a board to board connector is connected to a PCB. These connectors utilize a mounting style commonly referred to as press-fit, through-hole, or compression-style technology, which provides a solder-less electrical connection. Press-fit connections are made by pressing a pin into a through-contact hole in a PCB, forming a solder-less joint between the connector and the PCB. This connection is achieved by the terminal pins having a larger cross-section than the metallized hole in the PCB (e.g. a blade with elongated curved sides or spring type pin terminals). This enables the connector to be installed, removed, replaced or reused without difficulty.
The applicable subheading for the DKG 250 Interconnector and Motorconnector will be 8536.69.4040, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for “Electrical apparatus for switching or protecting electrical circuits, or for making connections to or in electrical circuits…for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V: Lamp-holders, plugs and sockets: Other: Coaxial connectors…printed circuit connectors; ribbon or flat cable connectors: Printed circuit connectors.” The general 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 Thomas Campanelli at (646) 733-3016.
Sincerely,
Robert B. Swierupski
Director
National Commodity Specialist Division