Analysis
HTS 8468.10.00 covers hand-held blow torches under heading 8468 (machinery and apparatus for soldering, brazing or welding, whether or not capable of…).
Neighbouring lines carry rates from duty-free to 3.9%, so the exact line matters. The widest gap is with 8468.90.50 (parts: other), at duty-free: a product that belongs there but is entered here, or the reverse, changes the duty by 2.9 percentage points.
The general duty rate is 2.9% of the customs value, which is above most the rates in chapter 84 (74th percentile of 823 lines with an ad valorem rate). On a shipment valued at $10,000 that is $290 in duty before any Chapter 99 additions or preference claims.
The column 2 rate, for countries without normal trade relations, is 45%, 15.5 times the general rate.
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 2.9%. 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.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 8468.20.10 | Hand-directed or -controlled | 3.9% |
| 8468.20.50 | Other gas-operated machinery and apparatus: other | Free |
| 8468.80.10 | Hand-directed or -controlled | 2.9% |
| 8468.80.50 | Other machinery and apparatus: other | Free |
| 8468.90.10 | Of hand-directed or -controlled machinery and apparatus | 2.9% |
| 8468.90.50 | Parts: other | Free |