The tariff classification of and country of origin marking requirements for certain advertising materials.

NY M83980 June 19, 2006 MAR-2-48:RR:NC:2:234 M83980 CATEGORY: Marking, Classification TARIFF NO.: 4819.10.0040 Mr. Gordon G. Anderson C. H. Robinson International, Inc. 8855 Columbine Road, Suite 400 Eden Prairie, MN 55347 RE: The tariff classification of and country of origin marking requirements for certain advertising materials. Dear Mr. Anderson: In your letter dated June 8, 2006, you requested a tariff classification ruling, with certain marking instructions, for certain boxed advertising material, imported from Mexico, on behalf of your client, Americhip Inc., Torrance, California. The merchandise and the circumstances of its production and importation, were the subject of our prior ruling, M81577, dated April 12, 2006, issued to you on behalf of the same client. At this time, you advise that the “box” component will be made and printed in the U.S., and the final assembly will take place in Mexico. You ask if this will impact the classification of the imported merchandise or its required marking. This new situation partakes of your former “scenario 1” (box made and printed in the U.S.) and “scenario 2” (final assembly in Mexico). The applicable subheading for the goods as described in M81577 remains 4819.10.0040 in the new circumstances: Cartons, boxes and cases, of corrugated paper or paperboard, Other (than sanitary food and beverage containers). The rate of duty is Free. Duty rates are provided for your convenience and are subject to change. The text of the most recent HTSUS and the accompanying duty rates are provided on World Wide Web at http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/. You also ask at this time for a ruling as to the classification of the faux leather picture frame component, made of vinyl, produced in China. As this article will not, under the various scenarios proposed to us, be imported in such condition as to require separate classification, a ruling for its classification does not appear to this office to be conducive to the orderly conduct of Government business, and will not be issued. The country of origin of the boxed advertising material being imported from Mexico remains governed by Section 102.11 c, 19 C.F.R. “The country of origin of the good is the country or countries of origin of all materials that merit equal consideration for determining the essential character of the good.” Those materials in this most recent scenario are the box made in the U.S. and the frame made in China. The countries of origin therefore are the U.S. and China. (As products of the U.S. need not be marked to indicate their country of origin, you may omit “U.S.” from your marking, at discretion.) 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 Carl Abramowitz at 646-733-3037. Sincerely, Robert B. Swierupski Director, National Commodity Specialist Division