9031.49

Analysis

Subheading 9031.49 covers other, within heading 9031. The first six digits are shared by every country that uses the Harmonized System, so this part of the code is the same in the US, UK and EU schedules; the 4 US tariff lines below it are national.

Every one of its 4 tariff lines is duty-free at the general rate, so classification within the subheading affects statistics and Chapter 99 measures rather than the base duty.

The US splits it as follows: 9031.49.10 for profile projectors (duty-free), 9031.49.40 for coordinate-measuring machines (duty-free), 9031.49.70 for for inspecting masks (other than photomasks) used in manufacturing… (duty-free) and 9031.49.90 for other: other (duty-free).

By Census's concordance, most of its statistical lines are made by Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (33331) and Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing (332216). Those are the NAICS industries a US producer of these goods would report under.

Goods only reach 9031.49 once they fall within heading 9031 (measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines, not specified or included…). Under General Rule 6, subheadings are then compared only with others at the same level, so a product is matched against its siblings, not against lines elsewhere in the chapter.