The tariff classification of a glass fiber coloring machine from Japan

NY F80928 January 6, 2000 CLA-2-84:RR:NC:1:103 F80928 CATEGORY: Classification TARIFF NO.: 8443.59.5000 Mr. Anthony Melendez Alcoa Fujikura Ltd. PO Box 3127 Spartanburg, SC 29304-3127 RE: The tariff classification of a glass fiber coloring machine from Japan Dear Mr. Melendez: In your letter dated December 13, 1999 you requested a tariff classification ruling. Your firm intends to import a cable coloring machine which coats optical glass fiber used in the manufacture of fiber optic cable. A fiber optic cable contains numerous individual glass fibers, and thus coating each fiber with a particular color aids in identifying a specific fiber should repair of that fiber become necessary. In operation, a spool of clear glass fiber is placed in the machine’s fiber pay-off, and the fiber is threaded through a series of dancers and pulleys to control tension and stress. The fiber then passes through an ink die where it is coated with an ultraviolet curable ink, and through a chamber containing UV lamps which dry the ink. The colored fiber then passes through another series of dancers and pulleys and is wound onto a take-up reel. The coloring machine can coat fiber at a rate of 1250 meters per minute, and can accommodate spools up to 350 millimeters in diameter. According to your letter, the coloring machine is a separate machine which will not be incorporated in a cable making machine. The applicable subheading for the fiber optic cable coloring machine will be 8443.59.5000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for other printing machinery: other: other. The rate of duty will be free. This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 177 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 177). A copy of the ruling or the control number indicated above should be provided with the entry documents filed at the time this merchandise is imported. If you have any questions regarding the ruling, contact National Import Specialist Alan Horowitz at 212-637-7027. Sincerely, Robert B. Swierupski Director, National Commodity Specialist Division