5516.44.00

Analysis

HTS 5516.44.00 covers containing less than 85 percent by weight of artificial staple fibers, mixed mainly or solely with cotton: printed under heading 5516 (woven fabrics of artificial staple fibers). US Customs collects import statistics for it under 9 ten-digit suffixes, reported in square metres and kilograms.

Rates on the nearby lines range from duty-free to 25%. The costliest confusion would be with 5516.33.05 (containing 36 percent or more by weight of wool or fine animal hair) at 25%, a difference of 16.5 points on the customs value.

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 8.5%. 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 general duty rate is 8.5% of the customs value, which is in the middle of the rates in chapter 55 (31st percentile of 133 lines with an ad valorem rate). On a shipment valued at $10,000 that is $850 in duty before any Chapter 99 additions or preference claims.

The column 2 rate, for countries without normal trade relations, is 81%, 9.5 times the general rate.

The ten-digit suffixes separate poplin or broadcloth, of a width exceeding 127 cm, printcloth, cheesecloth; lawns, voiles or batistes, duck and satin weave or twill weave and 1 more. The duty is the same across them; the suffix matters for statistics, licensing and some quotas, and an entry needs all ten digits.