Analysis
HTS 8211.95.90 covers handles of base metal: other under heading 8211 (knives with cutting blades, serrated or not (including pruning knives), other than knives…).
The general rate is 3¢ each + 5.4%, 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 3¢ each + 5.4%. 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 other lines in the same group are 8211.95.10 (for table knives having fixed blades, 0.3¢ each + 4.9%) and 8211.95.50 (for other knives having fixed blades, 0.4¢ each + 6.1%).
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 332215 (Metal Kitchen Cookware, Utensil, Cutlery, and Flatware (except Precious) Manufacturing), an industry of 205 US establishments employing 6,704 people. That concordance is how imports of this line are compared with US output.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8211.95.10 | For table knives having fixed blades | 0.3¢ each + 4.9% |
| 8211.95.50 | For other knives having fixed blades | 0.4¢ each + 6.1% |