Analysis
HTS 9111.10.00 covers cases of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal under heading 9111 (watch cases and parts thereof).
The general rate is 12¢ each + 4.8%, 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 GSP, the Australia FTA, the Bahrain FTA, the Chile FTA, the Colombia TPA, and 13 others can enter duty-free instead of paying 12¢ each + 4.8%. 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. That is the industry code a US manufacturer of the same product would normally use.
The general rate of 12¢ each + 4.8% has not changed in any edition of the schedule since Jan 2023.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 9111.20.20 | Gold- or silver-plated | 7¢ each + 5.4% |
| 9111.20.40 | Cases of base metal, whether or not gold- or silver-plated: other | 3.6¢ each + 7.6% |
| 9111.80.00 | Watch cases and parts thereof: other cases | 3.6¢ each + 7.6% |
| 9111.90.40 | Of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal | 6.4% |
| 9111.90.50 | Bezels, backs and centers | 1.6¢ each + 6.8% |
| 9111.90.70 | Other: other | 6.4% |