Quote Originally Posted by tyger View Post
In a thread some months ago, there was the expressed opinion, or fact, that no duties would be charged if a package declaring "ethnic garments" were imported into the USA. Is there a US Customs Xmarks member who can verify this as true, and tell us exactly where in the code this can be found?
Tyger

I believe the reference you were questioning was one I had heard from a particular kiltmaker and seller in another state, verbalized in a discussion but not ever verified in actuallity.

In a search of the internet I found a 1995 ruling by US Customs in re: a letter from Burnetts & Struth about importing mens and womens ethnic goods of the kilt and jacket category. In part that ruling states as below:

"The applicable subheading for the kilt, for men, will be 6211.31.0051, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for track suits, ski-suits and swimwear; other garments: other garments, men's or boys': of wool or fine animal hair: other. The general duty rate will be 16.5 percent ad valorem.

The applicable subheading for the women's kilt will be 6204.51.0010, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for track suits, ski-suits and swimwear; other garments: other garments, women's or girls': of wool or fine animal hair: other. The general duty rate will be 16.7 percent ad valorem.

The applicable subheading for the men's jacket will be 6211.31.0045, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for track suits, ski-suits and swimwear; other garments: other garments, men's or boys': of wool or fine animal hair: jackets and jacket-type garments excluded from headings 6201. The general duty rate will be 16.5 percent ad valorem.

The applicable subheading for the women's jacket will be 6204.31.2010, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for women's or girls' suits, ensembles, suit-type jackets, blazers, dresses, skirts, divided skirts, trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches and shorts (other than swimwear): of wool or fine animal hair: other: women's. The general duty rate will be 20.6 percent + 41.7 cents\kg.

The applicable subheading for the men's vest will be 6211.31.0040, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for track suits, ski-suits and swimwear; other garments: other garments, men's or boys': of wool or fine animal hair: vests. The general duty rate will be 16.5 percent ad valorem.

The applicable subheading for the women's vest will be 6211.41.0050, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for track suits, ski-suits and swimwear;
other garments: other garments, women's or girls: of wool or fine animal hair: vests. The general duty rate will be 16.5 percent ad valorem.

The applicable tariff provision for the dance shoes for men will be 6403.59.6060, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (HTSUSA), which provides for footwear with outer soles of rubber, plastics, leather or composition leather and uppers of leather: other footwear with outer soles of leather: other: other: for men, youths and boys: for men: other. The general rate of duty will be 8.5 percent ad valorem.

The applicable tariff provision for the dance shoes for women will be 6403.59.9060, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (HTSUSA), which provides for footwear with outer soles of rubber, plastics, leather or composition leather and uppers of leather: other footwear with outer soles of leather: other: other: for other persons: for women: other. The general duty rate will be 10.1 percent ad valorem.

The applicable tariff provision for the leather belt, men's or women's, will be 4203.30.0000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (HTSUSA), which provides for articles of apparel and clothing accessories, of leather or of composition leather: belts and bandoliers with or without buckles. The general rate of duty will be 4.8 percent ad valorem."

I believe the classifications are probably accurate as the two times I have paid tarrifs, and every time I have recieved a potentially tariff vulnerable item, the customs declaration either listed the items and above codes correctly or only the items, and the codes were added in customs or not added at all. I believe, however, that the tariff per centages are likely not accurate, as I know that the current tarrif for wool kilts is 17.5% instead of the above mentioned 16.5%.

Although I searched a bit, there are non-clothing items of ethnic nature that are excluded from tariffs in certain circumstances, it appears that all articles or apparel are subject to tariff. I cannot specifically speek to other ethnic items. The tariff schedules are extremely legalistically written and difficult to read, but I think it is reasonable to expect anything of value imported via a carrier where tariffs are routinely or frequently processed (UPS, FEDEX, for example) to be subject to those tarrifs being charged ,along with any handling fees as we have discussed before. Therefore, as also discussed, shipping methods which are less likely to have tariffs assessed, or to have them assessed but with minimal if any handling fees, are by definition going to cost you no more and most likely nothing or significantly less than the ones who automatically process the tariffs routinely and thoroughly and add more sizable handling fees (i.e., Fedex and UPS).

Moral of the story, there are no guarantees, but Royal mails/Canada mail/USPS and Parcelforce are your best bets when importing to pay the least possible (possible nothing) in tariffs and fees, while FEDEX and UPS are almost guaranteed to charge those tariffs and a potentially substantial handling charge. Ethnic garments will generally be classified as garments of some sort and not as exempt "ethnic items" as I had previously suggested.

I will admit when I am wrong, and in this case I am wrong. Sorry folks.

jeff