Analysis
HTS 9108.90.20 covers having no jewels or only one jewel: other under heading 9108 (watch movements, complete and assembled).
The general rate is 25¢ each, 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 the Australia FTA, the Bahrain FTA, the Chile FTA, the Colombia TPA, AGOA, and 12 others can enter duty-free instead of paying 25¢ each. 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.
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 334519 (Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing), an industry of 913 US establishments employing 34,818 people, the industry a domestic producer of these goods reports under.
The general rate of 25¢ each has not changed in any edition of the schedule since Jan 2023.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 9108.90.10 | Measuring 33.8 mm or less | 29¢ each |
| 9108.90.30 | Measuring 33.8 mm or less | 57¢ each |
| 9108.90.40 | Having over one jewel but not over 7 jewels: other | 25¢ each |
| 9108.90.50 | Measuring not over 15.2 mm | $2.16 each |
| 9108.90.60 | Measuring over 15.2 mm | $1.80 each |
| 9108.90.70 | Valued over $15 each | 90¢ each |
| 9108.90.80 | Valued not over $15 each | $1.44 each |
| 9108.90.85 | Valued over $15 each | Free |
| 9108.90.90 | Measuring 33.8 mm or less | $1.50 each |
| 9108.90.95 | Having over 17 jewels: other | $1.72 each |