Analysis
HTS 8201.90.30 covers grass shears, and parts thereof under heading 8201 (handtools of the following kinds and base metal parts thereof: spades, shovels, mattocks…).
The general rate is 2¢ each + 5.1%, a specific or compound duty rather than a simple percentage, so the effective burden depends on the unit value of the goods: cheap goods pay proportionally more than expensive ones. Importers usually convert it to an ad valorem equivalent to compare it with other lines.
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 2¢ each + 5.1%. 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 other lines in the same group are 8201.90.40 (forks, and parts thereof, duty-free) and 8201.90.60 (other handtools of a kind used in agriculture, horticulture…, duty-free).
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 332216 (Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing), an industry of 775 US establishments employing 25,058 people. That is the industry code a US manufacturer of the same product would normally use.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8201.90.40 | Forks, and parts thereof | Free |
| 8201.90.60 | Other handtools of a kind used in agriculture, horticulture or forestry, and parts thereof: other | Free |