3215.11

Analysis

Subheading 3215.11 covers black, within heading 3215. The first six digits are shared by every country that uses the Harmonized System, so this part of the code is the same in the US, UK and EU schedules; the 3 US tariff lines below it are national.

1 of its 3 lines with a percentage rate are duty-free at the general rate (33%) and 2 are dutiable, from duty-free up to 1.8%. The median line pays 1.8%.

The US splits it as follows: 3215.11.10 for in engineered shapes, for insertion into apparatus of subheadings… (duty-free), 3215.11.30 for solid: other (1.8%) and 3215.11.90 for black: other (1.8%).

By Census's concordance, most of its statistical lines are made by Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910). Those are the NAICS industries a US producer of these goods would report under.

Goods only reach 3215.11 once they fall within heading 3215 (printing ink, writing or drawing ink and other inks, whether or not concentrated or solid). Under General Rule 6, subheadings are then compared only with others at the same level, so a product is matched against its siblings, not against lines elsewhere in the chapter.