Analysis
HTS 3916.20.00 covers of polymers of vinyl chloride under heading 3916 (monofilament of which any cross-sectional dimension exceeds 1 mm, rods, sticks and…). US Customs collects import statistics for it under 3 ten-digit suffixes, reported in kilograms.
Neighbouring lines carry rates from 3.1% to 6.5%, so the exact line matters. The widest gap is with 3916.90.20 (other: racket strings), at 3.1%: a product that belongs there but is entered here, or the reverse, changes the duty by 2.7 percentage points.
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 5.8%. 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 general duty rate is 5.8% of the customs value, which is in the middle of the rates in chapter 39 (61st percentile of 236 lines with an ad valorem rate). On a shipment valued at $10,000 that is $580 in duty before any Chapter 99 additions or preference claims.
The column 2 rate, for countries without normal trade relations, is 35%, 6.0 times the general rate.
Statistical suffixes
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3916.10.00 | Of polymers of ethylene | 5.8% |
| 3916.90.10 | Of acrylic polymers | 6.5% |
| 3916.90.20 | Other: racket strings | 3.1% |
| 3916.90.30 | Other: monofilament | 6.5% |
| 3916.90.50 | Other: other | 5.8% |