Analysis
HTS 8308.90.60 covers buckles and buckle clasps, and parts thereof under heading 8308 (clasps, frames with clasps, buckles, buckle-clasps, hooks, eyes, eyelets and the like, of…).
Neighbouring lines carry rates from duty-free to 2.7%, so the exact line matters. The widest gap is with 8308.90.30 (beads and spangles of base metal), at duty-free: a product that belongs there but is entered here, or the reverse, changes the duty by 3.9 percentage points.
The general duty rate is 3.9% of the customs value, which is above most the rates in chapter 83 (72nd percentile of 58 lines with an ad valorem rate). On a shipment valued at $10,000 that is $390 in duty before any Chapter 99 additions or preference claims.
Goods that qualify under GSP, the Australia FTA, the Automotive Products Trade Act, the Bahrain FTA, the Chile FTA, and 13 others can enter duty-free instead of paying 3.9%. 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 45%, 11.5 times the general rate.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8308.90.30 | Beads and spangles of base metal | Free |
| 8308.90.90 | Other, including parts: other | 2.7% |