Analysis
HTS 1512.21.00 covers crude oil, whether or not gossypol has been removed under heading 1512 (sunflower-seed, safflower or cottonseed oil, and fractions thereof, whether or not…).
The general rate is 5.6¢/kg, 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 5.6¢/kg. 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 1512.11.00 (sunflower-seed or safflower oil and fractions thereof…, 1.7¢/kg + 3.4%), 1512.19.00 (sunflower-seed or safflower oil and fractions thereof: other, 1.7¢/kg + 3.4%) and 1512.29.00 (cottonseed oil and its fractions: other, 5.6¢/kg).
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 311224 (Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing), an industry of 190 US establishments employing 10,887 people. That concordance is how imports of this line are compared with US output.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1512.11.00 | Sunflower-seed or safflower oil and fractions thereof: crude oil | 1.7¢/kg + 3.4% |
| 1512.19.00 | Sunflower-seed or safflower oil and fractions thereof: other | 1.7¢/kg + 3.4% |
| 1512.29.00 | Cottonseed oil and its fractions: other | 5.6¢/kg |