Recent CBP NY Rulings
The following are short summaries of recent CBP NY rulings issued by the agency's National Commodity Specialist Division in New York:
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N348519: The tariff classification of aluminum junction boxes from India
| HTS: 7616.99.5190, 9903.85.08, 9903.01.33, 2.5% + 25% + 10%, “Other articles of aluminum: Other: Other: Other: Other: Other: Other.” |
| Item: The articles under consideration are described as aluminum junction boxes for housing and protecting electrical connections from indoor and outdoor environments. The boxes will be mounted in various locations as determined by the needs of end users. The boxes are composed of a base enclosure, a hinged lid, and sealing components such as silicone or polyurethane foam. Furthermore, the boxes contain no electrical components and will be packaged with mounting hardware prior to importation. Additionally, the boxes are available in multiple sizes, ranging 121-363 millimeters (mm) in length by 86-242 mm in width by 60-120 mm in height. The aluminum junction boxes weigh 1 to 5 pounds. |
| Reason: N/A |
| Ruling Date: May 15, 2025 |
N348559: The tariff classification of a blowout preventer from Canada
| HTS: 8481.40.0000, 2%, “Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boilers shells, tanks, vats or the like, including pressure-reducing valves and thermostatically controlled valves; parts thereof: Safety or relief valves.” |
| Item: The product under consideration is a Rod-Lock Blowout Preventer (BOP). The BOP, which is primarily of steel material, is referred to as a specialized valve designed to seal and control wells. When manually engaged, the BOP’s ram elements securely clamp and seal, maintaining well pressure. The bleed valve releases trapped pressure. The BOP prevents uncontrolled releases of oil or gas, commonly referred to as “blowouts.” |
| Reason: N/A |
| Ruling Date: May 15, 2025 |
N348561: The tariff classification of a leak detection system from Mexico
| HTS: 8481.80.9025, 2%, “Taps, cocks, valves and similar appliances, for pipes, boiler shells, tanks, vats or the like, including pressure-reducing valves and thermostatically controlled valves; parts thereof: Other appliances: Other: Other: With electrical or electro-hydraulic actuators: Other.” |
| Item: The Floodstop Leak Detection System is referred to as a point-of-use leak detection and water shut-off system. The system is used in residential and commercial environments, and is installed in water supply systems of water heaters, washing machines and dishwashers. The system is comprised of sensors, a motorized ball valve, a control unit, and a power supply, all of which are packaged together ready for retail sale. In use, the electronic sensors detect the presence of surface moisture, indicating a water leak. Once the control unit processes the signals and the presence of moisture is confirmed, the valve is activated, which automatically shuts off the water supply. |
| Reason: The ball valve imparts the essential character of the Floodstop Leak Detection System, when considering its role in relation to the use of the system. The function of the system is to prevent water damage, and while the sensors and control unit contribute to the process, it is the valve’s stoppage of water flow that prevents the physical water damage. Accordingly, the ball valve, which is classified within heading 8481, imparts the essential character of the set. |
| Ruling Date: May 15, 2025 |
N348002: The tariff classification of Telmisartan Tablets in dosage form, from India
| HTS: 3004.90.9221, 9903.01.32, free + 10%, “Medicaments … consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses … or in forms or packings for retail sale: Other: Other: Other: Cardiovascular medicaments: Other.” |
| Item: Telmisartan, imported in 20 mg, 40 mg and 80 mg tablets, is a non-peptide angiotensin II receptor (type AT1) antagonist. It is indicated for the treatment of hypertension, to lower blood pressure. |
| Reason: N/A |
| Ruling Date: May 14, 2025 |
N348009: The country of origin of Processed Crabmeat
| Origin: Indonesia |
| Item: Red Swimming Crabs (Monomia haanii previously Portunus haanii) will be caught on the coast of China and then shipped whole and frozen to Indonesia where they will be weighed, sorted, thawed, steamed, cooled, and the meat will be handpicked and packed in cans or frozen in bags. The cans will be sealed, pasteurized, refrigerated and then sold to the food service industry, including retailers and manufacturers upon importation to the United States. |
| Reason: The article is substantially transformed due to processing that is performed in Indonesia which has resulted in a new and different product. Accordingly, based on the information presented, the crabmeat is a product of Indonesia. |
| Ruling Date: May 14, 2025 |
N348029: The country of origin of a power adapter set
| Origin: China |
| Item: The merchandise under consideration is identified as the Safe Ultra-fast Multi-charger (Multi-Charger), which is a retail carton containing a 60W power adapter and a USB-C output cable assembly. The cable assembly is described as a cable with a male USB-C connector on one end and an inline plastic housing where the electrical connections are divided into three output cables having different output formats. The function of the Multi-Charger allows multiple phones to be charged simultaneously. The output cable assembly is manufactured in Korea from parts and materials of Korean origin. The power adapter is manufactured in China and shipped to Korea. In Korea, the power adapter and cable assembly are retail packaged together and exported to the United States. |
| Reason: The packaging of the power adapter plug and the cable assembly together in a retail carton does not result in a substantial transformation of the Chinese power adapter into a new and different article of commerce with a new name, character, and use. Furthermore, the power adapter plug imparts the essential character of the retail set. As a result, the country of origin of the Multi-Charger is China upon importation into the United States. |
| Ruling Date: May 14, 2025 |
N348122: The tariff classification of sensors from China
| HTS: (Milesight AM102) 9025.80.1000, 9903.01.24, 9903.01.25, 9903.88.02. 1.7% + 20% + 125% + 25%, “Hydrometers and similar floating instruments, thermometers, pyrometers, barometers, hygrometers and psychrometers, recording or not, and any combination of these instruments; parts and accessories thereof: Other instruments: Electrical.” (Milesight AM308) 9027.50.4050, 9903.01.24, 9903.01.25, free + 20% + 125%, “Instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis (for example, polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analysis apparatus); instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking viscosity, porosity, expansion, surface tension or the like; instruments and apparatus for measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light (including exposure meters); microtomes; parts and accessories thereof: Other instruments and apparatus using optical radiations (ultraviolet, visible, infrared): Other: Electrical: Photometers.” (Milesight WT101) 9032.10.0060, 9903.01.24, 9903.01.25, 1.7% + 20% + 125%, “Automatic regulating or controlling instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof: Thermostats: For air conditioning, refrigeration or heating systems: Other.” (Milesight TS301) 9025.19.8085, 9903.01.24, 9903.01.25, free + 20% + 125%, “Hydrometers and similar floating instruments, thermometers, pyrometers, barometers, hygrometers and psychrometers, recording or not, and any combination of these instruments; parts and accessories thereof: Thermometers and pyrometers, not combined with other instruments: Other: Other: Other: Other.” |
| Item: The items under consideration are a group of long-range wide-area network (LoRaWAN) based environmental sensing devices designed for wireless transmission of environmental data to cloud platforms or LoRaWAN gateways. The devices are used in smart buildings and industrial environments to monitor environmental factors such as air quality, temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration, and light levels. Each product operates autonomously and is powered by battery or USB. The first item under consideration is described as the Milesight AM102, which is an indoor air quality sensor for relative humidity (RH) and temperature. The second item under consideration is the Milesight AM308, which is an advanced air quality monitor for total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), fine particulate matter down to 2.5 micrometers or less (PM2.5), fine particulate matter down to 10 micrometers or less (PM10) carbon dioxide (CO2), relative humidity, temperature, light, motion and barometric pressure. The third item under consideration is the Milesight WT101, which is described as a radiator thermostat to help manage a heating-control system. The fourth item under consideration is the Milesight TS301, which is an advanced resistance temperature sensor with a visualized LCD data display. |
| Reason: The Milesight AM308 sensor module is considered a composite good in which no single element imparts the essential character to the device. Consequently, the module would be classified in accordance with General Rule of Interpretation GRI 3(c), which indicates that the goods would be classified under the heading which occurs last in numerical order among those which equally merit consideration. Heading 9027, HTSUS, which provides for, inter alia, instruments and apparatus for physical and chemical analysis and measuring or checking quantities of heat, sound or light, is the heading that appears last among those that equally merit consideration in respect to the Milesight AM308 sensor module at issue. The module’s ability to measure light, carbon dioxide, TVOC, PM2.5, and PM10 are all covered by this heading. |
| Ruling Date: May 14, 2025 |
N347837: The tariff classification of various gift items from Mexico
| HTS: (1) 7615.10.9100, 3.1%, “Table, kitchen or other household articles and parts thereof, of aluminum: Table, kitchen or other household articles and parts thereof; pot scourers and scouring or polish pads, gloves and the like: Other: Other. (2) and (3) 8306.30.0000, 2.7%, “Bells, gongs and the like, nonelectric, of base metal; statuettes and other ornaments, of base metal; photograph, picture or similar frames, of base metal; mirrors of base metal; and base metal parts thereof: Photograph, picture or similar frames; mirrors; and parts thereof.” (4) 4414.90.0000, 3.9%, “Wooden frames for paintings, photographs, mirrors or similar objects: Other.” (5) 8215.20.0000, 5.3%, "Spoons, forks, ladles, skimmers, cake-servers, fish-knives, butter-knives, sugar tongs and similar kitchen or tableware; and base metal parts thereof: Other sets of assorted articles.” |
| Item: The first item under consideration is described as a Cocktail Beaded Napkin Box. It is a square-shaped aluminum napkin holder with aluminum napkin weight, and paper napkins. The second item under consideration is described as a Light Blue Acrylic Scallop 4x6 Frame. The third item under consideration is described as a Blue Leather with Metal Border 5x7 Frame. The fourth item under consideration is described as a Natural Linen with Dog Bone 4x6 Frame, item #9026. The fifth item under consideration is described as a Pearled Cake Server Set. It consists of a cake knife and server. Both are made of stainless steel and feature aluminum handles that are shaped to look like a string of pearls. |
| Reason: (1) The aluminum accounts for the majority of the weight and bulk of the cocktail beaded napkin box. Therefore, the aluminum imparts the essential character. (4) The essential character of the frame is the medium density fiberboard (MDF), which provides the entire structure of the frame and overwhelmingly predominates by both value and weight, per your submitted figures. The plain textile and small dog bone of metal do not lend such overwhelming visual appeal to overcome the importance of the MDF frame underneath. |
| Ruling Date: May 14, 2025 |
N348150: The tariff classification of maskless UV laser beam lithography systems from the Netherlands
| HTS: 8486.20.0000, 9903.01.32, free + 10%, “Machines and apparatus of a kind used solely or principally for the manufacture of semiconductor boules or wafers, semiconductor devices, electronic integrated circuits or flat panel displays; machines and apparatus specified in Note 11(C) to this chapter; parts and accessories: Machines and apparatus for the manufacture of semiconductor devices or of electronic integrated circuits.” |
| Item: The PICOMASTER Standard Series consists of five models of focused UV laser beam systems for semiconductor lithography and microelectronic/nanofabrication applications. The Standard Series models employ a single focused laser beam to directly (i.e., without a photomask) draw or “write” patterns on the nanometer scale onto semiconductor devices and other photosensitive substrate materials. The Standard Series models are designed for and principally used in semiconductor manufacturing (mask creation, direct writing on semiconductor materials), photonics (fabrication of optical components), LED manufacturing, flat panel display patterning, MEMS/NEMS (fabrication of micro/nano-electromechanical systems), microfluidics, and RF device component creation. The key components of the PICOMASTER Standard Series machines include: (1) main housing; (2) writing module consisting of GaN laser diode source and high-precision optical components including beam shaping optics; (3) positioning system (air bearing stages, linear motors, optical encoders with nanometer resolution); (4) control electronics; (5) and environmental controls (HEPA filter, temperature and humidity control systems). |
| Reason: N/A |
| Ruling Date: May 9, 2025 |