The tariff classification and country of origin marking of a food ingredient from China

N054899 March 30, 2009 CLA-2-21:OT:RR:E:NC:N2:228 CATEGORY: Classification TARIFF NO.: 2106.90.9997 Mr. Mark Anderson Chemsol USA 601 Carlson Parkway Minnetonka, MN 55305 RE: The tariff classification and country of origin marking of a food ingredient from China Dear Mr. Anderson: In your letter dated March 17, 2009 you requested a tariff classification and country of origin marking ruling. The product is described as a dry blend consisting of 95 percent citric acid and 5 percent cane or beet sugar, packed in 25 or 50-kilogram poly-lined bags or 1000-kilogram tote sacks. The citric acid and sugar will be products of China and the ingredients will be blended in China. Your letter states the product will be used “in the beverage industry” as an ingredient in drink mixes. The applicable subheading for this product will be 2106.90.9997, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for food preparations not elsewhere specified or included…other…other…other…containing sugar derived from sugar cane and/or sugar beets. The rate of duty will be 6.4 percent ad valorem. 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/. The marking statute, section 304, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1304), provides that, unless excepted, every article of foreign origin (or its container) imported into the U.S. shall be marked in a conspicuous place as legibly, indelibly and permanently as the nature of the article (or its container) will permit, in such a manner as to indicate to the ultimate purchaser in the U.S. the English name of the country of origin of the article. As provided in section 134.41(b), Customs Regulations (19 CFR 134.41(b)), the country of origin marking is considered conspicuous if the ultimate purchaser in the U.S. is able to find the marking easily and read it without strain. With regard to the permanency of a marking, section 134.41(a), Customs Regulations (19 CFR 134.41(a)), provides that as a general rule marking requirements are best met by marking worked into the article at the time of manufacture. For example, it is suggested that the country of origin on metal articles be die sunk, molded in, or etched. However, section 134.44, Customs Regulations (19 CFR 134.44), generally provides that any marking that is sufficiently permanent so that it will remain on the article until it reaches the ultimate purchaser unless deliberately removed is acceptable. Applying the Marking Rules set forth in section 304 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and section 134 of the Customs Regulations, we find that the citric acid/sugar blend described above is a good of China for marking purposes and the ultimate purchaser of the blend is the beverage industry user. The container or containers in which the industry user receives the blend must be legibly, conspicuously, and permanently marked to show China as the country of origin. This merchandise is subject to The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (The Bioterrorism Act), which is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Information on the Bioterrorism Act can be obtained by calling FDA at 301-575-0156, or at the Web site www.fda.gov/oc/bioterrorism/bioact.html. The merchandise in question may be subject to antidumping duties or countervailing duties. Written decisions regarding the scope of AD/CVD orders are issued by the Import Administration in the Department of Commerce and are separate from tariff classification and origin rulings issued by Customs and Border Protection. You can contact them at http://www.trade.gov/ia/ (click on “Contact Us”). For your information, you can view a list of current AD/CVD cases at the United States International Trade Commission website at http://www.usitc.gov (click on “Antidumping and countervailing duty investigations”), and you can search AD/CVD deposit and liquidation messages using the AD/CVD Search tool at http://www.cbp.gov (click on “Import” and “AD/CVD”). 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 Stanley Hopard at (646) 733-3029. Sincerely, Robert B. Swierupski Director National Commodity Specialist Division