Weighted Blankets Filled With Glass Beads Classifiable as Blankets, Not Quilts, CBP Says
Weighted blankets that are filled with glass beads for additional heft are classifiable as blankets, not as quilts, in the tariff schedule, CBP said in an Oct. 5 ruling. As imported by Franco Manufacturing, the weighted blankets aren’t sized to fit standard mattresses, as are quilts that are used as bedspreads, and the quilts are generally filled with soft materials, rather than hard materials like glass beads, CBP said in HQ H305101.
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The two models of weighted blankets that were the subject of Franco's ruling request were made of polyester and fleece, with a fill made of polyfill and glass beads ranging from 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm in diameter. The extra weight of the blankets is intended to relieve stress or insomnia. The two models of blankets are available in sizes 40 inches by 60 inches, 48 inches by 72 inches, and 60 inches by 80 inches.
Heading 9404 says it covers quilts, but quilts that are “blankets” are more specifically provided for in heading 6301, CBP said. Only quilts used as articles of bedding are classifiable in heading 9404, which is subject to duty rates ranging from 4.4% to 14.9%.
To be considered bedding, an article must cover a bed sufficiently, which means such articles are generally sized to fit one of several standard commercial mattress sizes: 66 inches by 86 inches for a 39 inch by 75 inch twin bed mattress, and a quilt size of 81 inches by 86 inches for a full-size bed, 86 inches by 86 inches for a queen bed, and 100 inches by 90 inches for a king bed. “Any purported quilt that is significantly more or less than the aforementioned standard quilt sizes will not fit a standard size mattress properly,” CBP said.
“Upon review, we find that the weighted blankets at issue, sized 40” x 60”, 48” x 72”, and 60” x 80”, are too small to cover any of the standard size mattresses, and therefore are not articles of bedding classified under heading 9404,” CBP said.
The weighted blankets also differ from quilts because they have a hard filling of glass beads, CBP said. The Cambridge Dictionary says that “a ‘quilt’ is ‘a decorative cover for a bed’ or ‘a covering for a bed, made of two layers of cloth with a layer of soft filling between them, and stitched in lines or patterns through all the layers,’” CBP noted in the ruling. “Implicit in these definitions is the understanding that quilts are composed of soft materials, such as fabrics and soft fillings.”
“Upon review, we find that the weighted blankets at issue are classified under heading 6301, HTSUS, which provides for blankets eo nomine and generally covers all types of blankets, including weighted blankets,” CBP said. Specifically, because they are made of 100% polyester, they are classifiable in subheading 6301.40.00, with a duty rate of 8.5%, CBP said.