Analysis
HTS 5208.51.60 covers of numbers 43 to 68 under heading 5208 (woven fabrics of cotton, containing 85 percent or more by weight of cotton, weighing not…). US Customs collects import statistics for it under 4 ten-digit suffixes, reported in square metres and kilograms.
Neighbouring lines carry rates from 3% to 12.5%, so the exact line matters. The widest gap is with 5208.51.20 (certified hand-loomed fabrics), at 3%: a product that belongs there but is entered here, or the reverse, changes the duty by 8.4 percentage points.
Goods that qualify under the Australia FTA, the Bahrain FTA, the Chile FTA, the Colombia TPA, the Israel FTA, and 9 others can enter duty-free instead of paying 11.4%. 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 11.4% of the customs value, which is above most the rates in chapter 52 (81st percentile of 222 lines with an ad valorem rate). On a shipment valued at $10,000 that is $1,140 in duty before any Chapter 99 additions or preference claims.
The column 2 rate, for countries without normal trade relations, is 27.7%, 2.4 times the general rate.
Statistical suffixes
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 5208.51.20 | Certified hand-loomed fabrics | 3% |
| 5208.51.40 | Of number 42 or lower number | 8.1% |
| 5208.51.80 | Of number 69 or higher number | 12.5% |