Analysis
HTS 9031.49.90 covers other: other under heading 9031 (measuring or checking instruments, appliances and machines, not specified or included…).
Goods from countries without normal trade relations pay the column 2 rate of 50% instead of nothing, so origin decides between free entry and a 50% duty.
The normal trade relations rate here is zero, shared by about 73% of the 296 tariff lines in chapter 90, a useful check when a neighbouring dutiable line is a candidate. Duty-free at the general rate does not rule out additional duties under Chapter 99, such as Section 301 or Section 232 measures, which depend on the country of origin.
The other lines in the same group are 9031.49.10 (profile projectors, duty-free), 9031.49.40 (coordinate-measuring machines, duty-free) and 9031.49.70 (for inspecting masks (other than photomasks) used in…, duty-free).
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 33331 (Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing), an industry of 1,731 US establishments employing 80,504 people. That concordance is how imports of this line are compared with US output.
All 3 neighbouring lines carry the same duty-free rate, so a borderline choice between them changes the statistics reported, not the duty paid.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 9031.49.10 | Profile projectors | Free |
| 9031.49.40 | Coordinate-measuring machines | Free |
| 9031.49.70 | For inspecting masks (other than photomasks) used in manufacturing semiconductor devices; for measuring surface particulate contamination on semiconductor devices | Free |