Analysis
HTS 9111.90.50 covers bezels, backs and centers under heading 9111 (watch cases and parts thereof).
The general rate is 1.6¢ each + 6.8%, 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 1.6¢ each + 6.8%. 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.
The other lines in the same group are 9111.90.40 (of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal, 6.4%) and 9111.90.70 (other: other, 6.4%).
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.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 9111.90.40 | Of precious metal or of metal clad with precious metal | 6.4% |
| 9111.90.70 | Other: other | 6.4% |