The tariff classification of industrial filter bags produced in Costa Rica from piece goods and various fittings and hardware, supplied from the United. States.

NY F86701 May 11, 2000 CLA-2-59:RR:NC:TA:350 F86701 CATEGORY: Classification TARIFF NO.: 5911.90.0080 Mr. Paul E. Linet Post Office Box 533 Acton, MA 01720-0533 RE: The tariff classification of industrial filter bags produced in Costa Rica from piece goods and various fittings and hardware, supplied from the United. States. Dear Mr. Linet: In your letter dated April 25, 2000, on behalf of IKOR Industries, Hockessin, DE, you requested a classification ruling. You supplied four representative fabric samples stated to be of U.S. manufacture, which, along with various other components, are designed to be assembled into finished or completed industrial filter bags in Costa Rica. Specifically, you supplied one woven polyester fabric and three polyester felt materials. The submitted fabric samples are listed as: an Unsupported Polyester Felt – weighing 10-20 oz/square yd; a woven Polyester Fabric – weighing 4-14 oz/square yd; Polyphenylene Sulfide Needle Felt – weighing between 10-20 oz/square yd and Polytetrafluorethylene Needle Felt with scrim– weighing 10-24 oz/square yd. You mention other raw materials to be supplied which includes such things as galvanized, mild steel and stainless steel reinforcing rings and snap bands, synthetic sewing threads to sew the bags together and a fiberglass or polyester rope that will be sewn into the top cuff assembly. In Costa Rica all of the above mentioned fabrics will be cut to shape and processed with the various hardware to fashion a completed filter bag. According to your correspondence, these filter bags are of a type that are for use in the metals, minerals, utilities and chemical industries. Their main use is in pollution control equipment. The bags are designed for bag house use to collect both coarse and fine dust in their filtering operation. The applicable subheading for the bags will be 5911.90.0080, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for textile products and articles, for technical uses. The general rate of duty is 5.3 percent ad valorem. There is no textile category number assigned to this tariff number. Based on the information submitted, the merchandise is entitled to Duty-Free treatment pursuant to U.S. Note 2(b), subchapter II, Chapter 98, of the HTS. This note provides for the duty free treatment of articles, other than certain excluded articles, which are assembled or processed in a Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act beneficiary country, wholly of fabricated components or ingredients (except water) of U.S. origin. As long as only U.S. origin components are used during the foreign manufacturing operation, and the applicable documentation requirements are satisfied, the woven textile filter bags may enter the United States free of duty pursuant to Note 2(b) of subchapter II, Chapter 98, HTS. (9802.00.8040). 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 George Barth at 212-637-7085. Sincerely, Robert B. Swierupski Director, National Commodity Specialist Division