5515.19.00

Analysis

HTS 5515.19.00 covers of polyester staple fibers: other under heading 5515 (other woven fabrics of synthetic staple fibers). US Customs collects import statistics for it under 10 ten-digit suffixes, reported in square metres and kilograms.

Within this group the rate runs from duty-free to 25%. Compared with 5515.99.05 (containing 36 percent or more by weight of wool or fine animal hair), which pays 25%, a misclassification either way moves the duty by 13 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 12%. 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 81%, 6.8 times the general rate.

The ten-digit suffixes separate of yarns of different colors, except…, blue denim, poplin or broadcloth, sheeting, printcloth and cheesecloth; lawns, voiles or batistes and 3 more. The duty is the same across them; the suffix matters for statistics, licensing and some quotas, and an entry needs all ten digits.

The general duty rate is 12% of the customs value, which is in the middle of the rates in chapter 55 (58th percentile of 133 lines with an ad valorem rate). On a shipment valued at $10,000 that is $1,200 in duty before any Chapter 99 additions or preference claims.