The Tariff Classification, Status under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and Country-of-Origin of 35% Solution of Sodium Citrate

N306130 November 26, 2019 CLA-2-38:OT:RR:NC:N3:139 CATEGORY: Classification/NAFTA/Country-of-Origin TARIFF NO.: 3824.99.9297 Sheri Lawson Wilson International Inc. 160 Wales Avenue, Ste. 100 Tonawanda NY 14150 RE: The Tariff Classification, Status under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and Country-of-Origin of 35% Solution of Sodium Citrate Dear Ms. Lawson: In your letter dated September 6, 2019, you requested a tariff classification ruling on behalf of Korex Canada Co., for 35% solution of Sodium Citrate. This ruling request was submitted to our laboratory for review. The product is identified as 35% solution of Sodium Citrate. Specifically, the product, is comprised of sodium citrate powder, water, methylchloroisothiazolinone, sodium benzoate and sodium metabisulfite. The product will be produced in Canada by diluting the Sodium Citrate powder of Chinese origin with water and adding a small amount of preservatives to create a 35% solution of Sodium Citrate. The Sodium Citrate solution will then be loaded into a bulk tanker and shipped to the United States. The product will be used as an ingredient in automatic dish detergent gel. The applicable tariff provision for the 35% solution of Sodium Citrate will be 3824.99.9297, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for: Prepared binders for foundry molds or cores; chemical products and preparations of the chemical or allied industries (including those consisting of mixtures of natural products), not elsewhere specified or included: Other: Other: Other: Other: Other: Other. The rate of duty will be 5%. 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 the World Wide Web at https://hts.usitc.gov/current. You also requested this office to make a determination on the country of origin of the 35% solution of sodium citrate, and whether they are eligible for the preferential treatment under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The NAFTA is implemented in General Note (GN) 12 of the HTSUS. GN 12(b) provides, in pertinent part:For the purposes of this note, goods imported into the customs territory of the United States are eligible for the tariff treatment and quantitative limitations set forth in the tariff schedule as goods originating in the territory of a NAFTA party only if— (i) they are goods wholly obtained or produced entirely in the territory of Canada, Mexico and/or th