The country of origin of a Balance Bot Hack Pack

N350296 December 11, 2025 OT:RR:NC:N3:356 CATEGORY: Origin Nick Baker Kroll, LLC 1111 Bagby Street, Suite 1900 Houston, TX 77002 RE: The country of origin of a Balance Bot Hack Pack Dear Mr. Baker: In your letter dated June 16, 2025, on behalf of CrunchLabs LLC, you requested a country of origin ruling for purposes of additional trade remedy measures. A description and sample of the subject good were submitted in connection with your inquiry. FACTS: The good under consideration is identified as the “Balance Bot Hack Pack.” It is an unassembled kit for teenagers and adults that includes all necessary components to assemble the good. All components are imported into the United States packaged together in a retail box. The individual components are: a USB power pack, a microcontroller, three printed circuit boards, two DC motors, a USB port extension, a distance sensor, an LED bar, an IM chassis, a ribbon cable, 3 pieces of 3mm plywood, two tires, an IM head top, two IM wheels, a gear badge, 16 pan head 6mm bolts, two pieces of EVA foam, an IM head bottom, two IM servo discs, six 10mm bolts, a customized screwdriver, a bracket, two stickers, and two servo center screws. The microcontrollers will originate in Taiwan, Italy, Malaysia, or Vietnam, and the remaining components will originate in China. The Balance Bot Hack Pack is intended to be built primarily for amusement by teenagers and adults who want to learn how to code through the assembly, modification, and operation of the completed item. The Balance Bot is a two-wheeled robot designed to stay upright using sensor feedback and motion control. It comes with default programming and is designed to be “hacked” and re-programmed. ISSUE: What is the country of origin of the Balance Bot Hack Pack for purposes of additional trade remedy measures? LAW AND ANALYSIS: When determining the country of origin for purposes of applying current trade remedies under Section 301, as well as additional duties, the substantial transformation analysis is applicable. See, e.g., Headquarters Ruling Letter H301619, dated November 6, 2018. The test for determining whether a substantial transformation will occur is whether an article emerges from a process with a new name, character, or use different from that possessed by the article prior to processing. See Texas Instruments Inc. v. United States, 681 F.2d 778 (C.C.P.A. 1982). This determination is based on the totality of the evidence. See National Hand Tool Corp. v. United States, 16 C.I.T. 308 (1992), aff’d, 989 F.2d 1201 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Packaging alone is not a substantial transformation. See Headquarters Ruling Letter (“HQ”) 733729, dated January 2, 1001, which concluded that packaging teas in Singapore did not result in a substantial transformation, as there was no change in the name, character, or use of the imported teas. In your letter, you assert that the country of origin of the Balance Bot Hack Pack is the country of origin of the microcontroller (i.e., Taiwan, Italy, Malaysia, or Vietnam). We agree in part. The subject good contains the components of an unassembled Balance Bot, including the microcontoller. As noted above, the microcontrollers will be of Taiwanese, Italian, Malaysian, or Vietnamese origin, and the remaining components will be of Chinese origin. The microcontrollers are general-purpose articles that do not define the Balance Bot’s character or use. Rather, they work in conjunction with other components (e.g., sensors, circuit boards, motors) to enable the operation of the good. Packaging the components of the Balance Bot in China will not transform any of the components into articles with a new name, character, or use; each component remains a distinct article. HOLDING: In accordance with Headquarters Ruling Letter H350263, dated October 3, 2025, for purposes of additional trade remedy measures, the countries of origin of the Balance Bot Hack Pack will be Taiwan, Italy, Malaysia, or Vietnam (the country of origin of the microcontroller) and China (the country of origin of the remaining components). The holding set forth above applies only to the specific factual situation and merchandise description as identified in the ruling request. This position is clearly set forth in Title 19, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Section 177.9(b)(1). This section states that a ruling letter is issued on the assumption that all of the information furnished in the ruling letter, whether directly, by reference, or by implication, is accurate and complete in every material respect. In the event that the facts are modified in any way, or if the goods do not conform to these facts at time of importation, you should bring this to the attention of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and submit a request for a new ruling in accordance with 19 CFR 177.2. A dditionally, we note that the material facts described in the foregoing ruling may be subject to periodic verification by CBP. This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 177 of the Customs and Border Protection 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, please contact National Import Specialist Maryalice Nowak at maryalice.nowak@cbp.dhs.gov. Sincerely, (for) Deborah Marinucci Designated Official Performing the Duties of the Division Director National Commodity Specialist Division