The tariff classification of stainless steel balls for use in furniture drawer glides from Italy

NY 868474 December 3, 1991 CLA-2-84:S:N:N1:102 868474 CATEGORY: Classification TARIFF NO.: 8482.91.0010 Mr. Matthew Haffner Burlington Air Express 1 Industrial Plaza, Bldg. E. Valley Stream, N.Y. 11581 RE: The tariff classification of stainless steel balls for use in furniture drawer glides from Italy Dear Mr. Haffner: In your letter dated October 31, 1991, on behalf of your client, IBC Bearing Co., you requested a tariff classification ruling. The items in question are stainless steel balls used in the production of furniture drawer glides. The balls are of 440 C grade steel and ground to #500 grade precision. Your client's letter states that they manufacture unground, commercial ball bearings (drawer glides) and that they consider the balls to fall outside of industry specifications for "precision" ground balls. In the chapter notes to Chapter 84 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedules (HTS) of the United States, note 6 states as follows: Heading 8482 applies, inter alia, to polished steel balls, the maximum and minimum diameters of which do not differ from the nominal diameter by more than 1 percent or by more than {emphasis added} 0.05 mm, whichever is less. A grade #500 steel ball, by industry standards, is one which has a tolerance factor of 5 micron, or 0.05 mm difference in nominal diameter. As such, it does fall within the above cited parameters. The applicable subheading for the instant steel balls will be 8482.91.0010, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for parts of ball bearings; alloy steel balls. The rate of duty will be 4.9 percent ad valorem. It is the opinion of this office that the instant steel balls would be subject to anti-dumping (ADA) margins under the current Department of Commerce ADA findings on bearings, as published on May 15, 1989. Please contact your local port for the specific case numbers and percentages. If you desire a scope determination on the applicability of anti-dumping duty to your product, please write directly to the Office of Compliance, Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Section 177 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 177). A copy of this ruling letter should be attached to the entry documents filed at the time this merchandise is imported. If the documents have been filed without a copy, this ruling should be brought to the attention of the Customs officer handling the transaction. Sincerely, Jean F. Maguire Area Director New York Seaport