Analysis
HTS 6810.11.00 covers building blocks and bricks under heading 6810 (articles of cement, of concrete or of artificial stone, whether or not reinforced). US Customs collects import statistics for it under 2 ten-digit suffixes, reported in square metres.
Neighbouring lines carry rates from duty-free to 9%, so the exact line matters. The widest gap is with 6810.19.14 (floor and wall tiles: other), at 9%: a product that belongs there but is entered here, or the reverse, changes the duty by 5.8 percentage points.
The general duty rate is 3.2% of the customs value, which is above most the rates in chapter 68 (71st percentile of 67 lines with an ad valorem rate). On a shipment valued at $10,000 that is $320 in duty before any Chapter 99 additions or preference claims.
For statistics it divides in two: 6810.11.00.10 for containing by weight more than 70 percent magnesia… and 6810.11.00.70 for other. Both pay the same duty; the suffix records which kind was imported.
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 3.2%. 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 30%, 9.4 times the general rate.
Statistical suffixes
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 6810.19.12 | Of stone agglomerated with binders other than cement | 4.9% |
| 6810.19.14 | Floor and wall tiles: other | 9% |
| 6810.19.50 | Other: other | 3.9% |
| 6810.91.00 | Prefabricated structural components for building or civil engineering | Free |
| 6810.99.00 | Other articles: other | Free |