Analysis
HTS 1404.90.20 covers broomcorn (Sorghum vulgare var. technicum) under heading 1404 (vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included).
The general rate is $4.95/t, a specific or compound duty rather than a simple percentage, so the effective burden depends on the unit value of the goods: cheap goods pay proportionally more than expensive ones. Importers usually convert it to an ad valorem equivalent to compare it with other lines.
Goods that qualify under GSP, the Australia FTA, the Bahrain FTA, the Chile FTA, the Colombia TPA, and 12 others can enter duty-free instead of paying $4.95/t. It is also eligible under GSP, the developing-country programme, which Congress has to renew; check whether GSP is in force on the entry date.
The other lines in the same group are 1404.90.10 (other: vegetable hair, 0.5¢/kg), 1404.90.30 (vegetable materials of a kind used primarily in brooms or…, duty-free), 1404.90.40 (vegetable materials of a kind used primarily in brooms or…, 2.3%) and 1404.90.90 (other: other, duty-free).
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 111199 (All Other Grain Farming). That is the industry code a US manufacturer of the same product would normally use.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1404.90.10 | Other: vegetable hair | 0.5¢/kg |
| 1404.90.30 | Vegetable materials of a kind used primarily in brooms or in brushes (for example, broomcorn piassava, couch grass and istle), whether or not in hanks or bundles: istle | Free |
| 1404.90.40 | Vegetable materials of a kind used primarily in brooms or in brushes (for example, broomcorn piassava, couch grass and istle), whether or not in hanks or bundles: other | 2.3% |
| 1404.90.90 | Other: other | Free |