Newly Released CBP HQ Rulings on Sept. 20

September 21, 2022 by Ben Perkins|Customs Rulings

The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Sept. 20 with the following headquarters rulings (ruling revocations and modifications will be detailed elsewhere in a separate article as they are announced in the Customs Bulletin):

H325833: U.S. Government Procurement; Title III, Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 U.S.C. 2511); Subpart B, Part 177, CBP Regulations; Country of Origin of SCORE®7T tablets

Ruling: The country of origin of the instant SCORE 7T tablets will be Taiwan.

Issue: What is the country of origin of the subject tablet for purposes of U.S. Government procurement?

Item: The SCORE 7T tablet at issue is a custom-designed tablet assembled in China and shipped to the U.S. The chipset powering the tablet is manufactured in Taiwan and represents approximately 60 percent of the cost of the tablet’s hardware. The circuit and component layout for the motherboard is also made in Taiwan. The tablet uses a system on a chip (SOC) design. The SOC is an integrated circuit that includes the central processing unit, memory, input/output logic, secondary storage, graphics processing unit, radio frequency signal processing functions, and communication controller on a single microchip. The chipset does all computing on the tablet. The hardware tablet is assembled in China. The assembly process involves combining the components manufactured in Taiwan with a screen to make the finished tablet. Upon importation into the U.S., the tablet does not have the manufacturer’s generic Android firmware or other firmware installed.

Reason: The chipset powering the tablet and the circuit and component layout for the motherboard manufactured in Taiwan determine the tablet’s functionality.

Ruling Date: Sept. 1, 2022

H311162: Application for Further Review of Protest No. 5501-19-100826; Tariff classification of various types of ductile iron castings including coupling barrels, Powermax barrels, coupling glands, Powermax glands and saddles

Ruling: The coupling barrels, Powermax barrels, and saddles, are classified in subheading 7307.19.3085 as “Tube or pipe fittings of iron or steel: Cast fittings: Other: Ductile fittings: Other.” The coupling glands and Powermax glands are classified in subheading 7325.99.1000 as “Other cast articles of iron or steel: Other: Other: Of cast iron.”

Issue: Whether various articles are classified under heading 7307, as “Tube or pipe fittings (for example, couplings, elbows, sleeves), of iron or steel”; or under heading 7325 as “Other cast articles of iron or steel”; or under heading 7326 as “Other articles of iron or steel.”

Items: Various types of ductile iron castings including coupling barrels, Powermax barrels, coupling glands, Powermax glands and saddles, which were imported from China. These parts function together to form various types of pipe assemblies including transition couplings, end cap couplings, and reducing couplings.

Reason: The purpose of the Powermax barrels, coupling barrels, Powermax glands, and coupling glands is to join and secure separate pipe segments into various types of coupling assemblies. The essence of the Powermax glands, coupling glands, Powermax barrels and coupling barrels is their ability to join and secure separate pipe segments into various types of coupling assemblies.

Ruling Date: June 13, 2022