US, Importer Nearing Resolution of 2012 Customs Spat on Robotics Entries

The U.S. and importer Fanuc Robotics America have "reached an agreement in principle" on how to classify all but two models of robots at issue in the the importer's case at the Court of International Trade. Submitting a joint status report on Nov. 3, the parties said that the classification of the remaining two models is "taking the parties much longer than anticipated" due to the age of the models and the retirement of the national import specialist who "assisted with the review of the technical information" in the case (Fanuc Robotics America v. U.S., CIT # 12-00052).

The case was filed in 2012 relating to Fanuc Robotics' entries of industrial robots and robotic controllers, falling under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings 8479.50.00 and 8537.10.90. The importer said the goods should fall under subheadings 8428.90.00, 8515.21.00 and 8515.31.00.

The parties want to avoid litigation and asked the court for another 90 days "to continue discussing [a] possible resolution of this matter."