Analysis
HTS 3815.90.10 covers of bismuth, of tungsten or of vanadium under heading 3815 (reaction initiators, reaction accelerators and catalytic preparations, not elsewhere…).
Neighbouring lines carry rates from duty-free to 5%, so the exact line matters. The widest gap is with 3815.90.30 (consisting wholly of inorganic substances: other), at duty-free: a product that belongs there but is entered here, or the reverse, changes the duty by 6.5 percentage points.
The general duty rate is 6.5% of the customs value, which is above most the rates in chapter 38 (86th percentile of 179 lines with an ad valorem rate). On a shipment valued at $10,000 that is $650 in duty before any Chapter 99 additions or preference claims.
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 6.5%. 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 column 2 rate, for countries without normal trade relations, is 40%, 6.2 times the general rate.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3815.90.20 | Of mercury or of molybdenum | 2.8% |
| 3815.90.30 | Consisting wholly of inorganic substances: other | Free |
| 3815.90.50 | Other: other | 5% |