CLA-2-16:RR:NC:FC:231 A83248
Mr. Timothy Swanson
Sea Port Products Corporation
P.O. Box 704
San Mateo, CA 94401
RE: The tariff classification of seafood mix from Thailand.
Dear Mr. Swanson:
In your letter, which is undated and received by this office
on May 1, 1996, you have requested a tariff classification ruling.
The product is seafood mix. The ingredients are 25 percent cuttlefish
tentacles, 25 percent cuttlefish strips, 25 percent sliced baby octopus, 15
percent peeled, undeveined sand shrimp, and 10 percent imitation crab bite.
The last constituent, imitation crab bite, will contain polyphosphates,
threadfin bream, egg albumin, salt, sugar, starch, natural crab flavoring,
natural coloring, and natural spices. The seafood mix is blanched,
individually quick frozen, and packed. There are 22 one pound polybags per
master carton. The product will be sold to wholesalers and distributors, who
will sell it to the food services and at the retail level.
Note 2 to Chapter 16, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
(HTS), states:
Food preparations fall in this chapter provided that they contain more
than 20 percent by weight of sausage, meat, meat offal, blood, fish or
crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, or any combination
thereof. In cases where the preparation contains two or more of the
products mentioned above, it is classified in the heading of chapter 16
corresponding to the component or components which predominate by
weight. These provisions do not apply to the stuffed products of
heading 1902 or to the preparations of heading 2103 or 2104.
The applicable subheading for the seafood mix will be 1605.90.6060,
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for
crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, prepared or preserved,
other, other, other, other. The rate of duty will be free.
This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 177 of the
Customs Regulations (19 CFR 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 Ralph Conte at (212) 466-5759.
Sincerely,
Roger J. Silvestri
Director
National Commodity
Specialist Division