[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 47 (Friday, March 8, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9521-9523]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5682]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service


Receipt of Domestic Interested Party Petition Concerning Tariff 
Classification of Sanitary Ware

AGENCY: U.S. Customs Service, Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of domestic interested party petition; 
solicitation of comments.

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SUMMARY: Customs has received a petition submitted on behalf of a 
domestic interested party concerning the tariff classification of 
ceramic sanitary ware made in Mexico. The subject sanitary ware is 
provided for under heading 6910, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the 
United States (HTSUS), as ceramic sinks, washbasins, washbasin 
pedestals, baths, bidets, water closet bowls, flush tanks, urinals and 
similar sanitary fixtures. Petitioner believes sanitary ware is 
classifiable under subheading 6910.10, HTSUS, which provides for such 
articles of porcelain or china, and challenges Customs classification 
under subheading 6910.90, which provides for sanitary ware, other than 
that of porcelain, china or china ware. Petitioner claims that tariff 
enumerated methodologies for determining whether a particular ceramic 
is porcelain, china or china ware are flawed. In addition, Petitioner 
claims that Customs implementation of the methodologies is flawed. The 
document invites comments regarding the correctness of Customs 
classification as well as the methodologies used. Before taking any 
action on the petition, consideration will be given to any written 
comments received in response to this notice.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before May 7, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Comments (preferably in triplicate) may be submitted to the 
U.S. Customs Service, Office of Regulations and Rulings, Regulations 
Branch, Franklin Court, 1301 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, 
D.C. 20229. Comments may be viewed at the Office of Regulations and 
Rulings, Franklin Court, 1099 14th Street, N.W., Suite 4000, 
Washington, D.C.


[[Page 9522]]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mary Beth McLoughlin, Tariff 
Classification and Appeals Division, (202) 482-7030.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Pursuant to section 516, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. 
1516), and Part 175, Customs Regulations (19 CFR Part 175), Customs has 
received a petition submitted on behalf of a domestic interested party 
concerning the tariff classification of ceramic sanitary ware made in 
Mexico. Chapter 69, HTSUS, provides for ceramic products. Heading 6910, 
HTSUS, of Chapter 69, provides:

6910  Ceramic sinks, washbasins, washbasin pedestals, baths, bidets, 
water closet bowls, flush tanks, urinals and similar sanitary 
fixtures:
6910.10.00  Of porcelain or china--6.9%, 5.7% (MX)
    05  Water closet bowls, flushometer type
    10  Water closet bowls with tanks, in one piece.
    15  Flush tanks
    20  Other water closet bowls
    30  Sinks and lavatories
    50  Other
6910.90.00  Other--6.9% Free (MX)

    The subject sanitary ware is classifiable under heading 6910. 
Petitioner believes sanitary ware is classifiable under subheading 
6910.10, HTSUS, which provides for such articles of porcelain or china, 
and challenges Customs classification under subheading 6910.90, which 
provides for sanitary ware, other than that of porcelain, china or 
china ware. Petitioner claims that tariff enumerated methodologies for 
determining whether a particular ceramic is porcelain, china or china 
ware are flawed. In addition, Petitioner claims that Customs' 
implementation of the methodologies is flawed.
    According to petitioner, prior to the January 1994 implementation 
of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexican produced 
vitreous china sanitary ware was classified under subheading 6910.10 
with a 7.2% rate of duty. Under NAFTA, duty rates for subheading 
6910.10 are incrementally reduced to free over a 10-year period. 
Petitioner asserts that early in 1994, Customs reclassified Mexican 
produced vitreous china sanitary ware as sanitary ware made of material 
other than porcelain or china under subheading 6910.90. Under NAFTA, 
duty rates for subheading 6910.90 were reduced to free at NAFTA's 
implementation. Petitioner challenges Customs reclassification of 
Mexican ceramic sanitary ware, claiming significant amounts of ceramic 
sanitary ware, in particular water closet bowls, are made of china.

Customs Position

    The classification of merchandise under the HTSUS is governed by 
the General Rules of Interpretation (GRIs). GRI 1, HTSUS, states, in 
pertinent part, that for legal purposes, classification shall be 
determined according to the terms of the headings and any relative 
section or chapter notes. Additional U.S. Note 5(a) to Chapter 69 
states: For the purposes of headings 6909 through 6914:

    (a) The terms ``porcelain'' ``china'' and ``chinaware'' embrace 
ceramic ware (other than stoneware), whether or not glazed or 
decorated, having a fired white body (unless artificially colored) 
which will not absorb more than 0.5 percent of its weight of water 
and is translucent in thicknesses of several millimeters.

    The tariff definition of porcelain, china and chinaware provides 
physical characteristics which, under certain circumstances, indicate 
that an article is porcelain, china and chinaware. Those 
characteristics include the article's degree of whiteness (unless the 
article is artificially colored) and degree of vitrification. An 
article's vitrification is manifested by both the water absorption and 
translucency specifications stated in the tariff definition for 
porcelain, china and chinaware.
    Porcelain consists essentially of kaolinic clays and smaller 
amounts of quartz and/or feldspar. Because the clay and additives are 
extremely pure, the finished porcelain body is close to a true white 
color, unless colored. Whiteness, as a porcelain, china and chinaware 
characteristic, was addressed in U.S. vs. Twin Wintons, 535 F.2d 636 
(CCPA 1976) rev'd. 395 F.Supp 1397 (1975) [Twin Wintons]. The court 
found, based on the evidence presented, that whiteness is principally a 
subjective function of the potter's intent manifested through 
ingredient control, and therefore not a determinative characteristic in 
and of itself of an article's porcelain, china and chinaware nature. 
However, subsequent to the decision in Twin Wintons, Customs has used 
the Munsell Color System scientific method to measure the ``whiteness'' 
of ceramic ware when determining whether an article is made of 
porcelain, china and chinaware.
    The Munsell Color System is a universally accepted system used to 
characterize color in terms of hue, chroma and value (lightness) using 
a combination number/lettering system. The Munsell system is 
illustrated by a collection of 1500 color chips in the Munsell Book of 
Color. It requires that an object be viewed under a Macbeth lamp which 
produces an artificial light of known wave length simulating northern 
sky daylight. The color viewed is then compared with standardized color 
chips produced and sold by Munsell. The chips are of varying degrees of 
whiteness. Customs understands that ceramic sanitary ware having a 
Munsell color of N 8.5 or lighter (in a neutral color shade having a 
chroma of 0 to 0.5) will be, for the purpose of testing sanitary ware, 
considered white.
    The amount of water a particular article absorbs is a manifestation 
of its vitrification. As the degree of vitrification increases during 
the firing process, the amount of water the finished product will be 
able to absorb will decrease by the same degree and vice versa. The 
method for the measurement of water absorption as provided for in 
Chapter 69, Additional U.S. Note 5(d), is the American Standard Testing 
Method designated C373 (except that test specimens may have a minimum 
weight of 10 g, and may have one large surface glazed). Samples 
absorbing 0.5% and less of their weight in water are sufficiently 
vitrified to meet both the tariff and industry definitions of 
porcelain, china and chinaware.
    Translucency is the final specification provided by the tariff. 
Translucency, as in the case of water absorption, is a specification 
which manifests the characteristic ``vitrification''. As the degree of 
vitrification increases, the subject article's translucency increases. 
With respect to Chapter 69, Customs believes translucency is present as 
a specification to define the degree of vitrification and not as a 
porcelain, china and chinaware characteristic in and of itself. 
Therefore, Customs believes that bodies, whatever their form (e.g.: 
sanitary ware, vase, etc.), composed of the same base materials and 
vitrified during firing for the same amount of time will exhibit 
essentially the same amount of translucency.
    In Twin Wintons, the examination of the subject article, a 
decanter, consisted of the judges darkening a room, placing a 7 watt 
penlight into the decanter and then visually examining the decanter to 
determine whether light shone through. The court tested the product for 
translucency without adjustment to a specific thickness. In addition, 
the court stated that there was no evidence that any part of the 
decanter was ``very thin''. Customs believes that this statement 
indicates the court's belief that the thickness of the decanter was 
within or above the ``thickness of 

[[Page 9523]]
several millimeters'' requirement of the tariff porcelain, china and 
chinaware definition.
    The measurable translucency of an article is directly affected by 
its thickness. Because translucent objects only partially transmit 
light, translucent materials become opaque at certain thicknesses. 
While the various articles of headings 6909 through 6914 may have 
virtually identical bodies, their thickness varies. Therefore, Customs 
believes the direction of Additional U.S. Note 5(a), ``translucent at 
thicknesses of several millimeters'', requires all ceramic articles it 
encompasses to be tested at a universal thickness. This thickness may 
or may not be the actual thickness of the product.
    In the absence of a quantitative thickness, the Customs Laboratory 
performed an exhaustive search of industry standards. That search 
produced what Customs understands to be the only available industry 
standard indicating a thickness for testing translucency: the British 
Standard 5416 for porcelain chinaware. The standard requires an average 
water absorption of less than 0.2% by weight; however, depending on 
sample size (number samples tested), a small number of samples may show 
a water absorption rate of greater than 0.4%. If water absorption is 
met, translucency is tested by taking a 2 mm thick piece of the article 
and determining if 75% of the light directed incident upon it from a 
light source capable of emitting white light of color temperature of 
3400 K (a special photometric lamp) is viewable. As the water 
absorption specification is provided in the porcelain, china and 
chinaware tariff definition, Customs believes that the sample thickness 
requirement of the test should be applied to determine whether a piece 
of ceramic sanitary ware will meet the translucency requirement of the 
porcelain, china and chinaware tariff definition.

Petitioner's Position

    In contrast, petitioner states that while Additional U.S. Note 5(a) 
may accurately determine whether ceramic dinnerware or decorative 
articles are made of porcelain, china and chinaware, the specifications 
provided in the note are troublesome when applied to ceramic sanitary 
ware. Instead, petitioner suggests that the specifications for sanitary 
ware provided by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) code 
should be applied to determine whether a ceramic sanitary ware article 
is made of china.
    The ANSI has been adopted by the plumbing industry. It provides 
standards which govern the material composition and characteristics of 
ceramic sanitary ware. The ANSI code divides ceramic sanitary ware into 
2 categories: ``Vitreous China Plumbing Fixtures'' and ``Non-Vitreous 
Ceramic Plumbing Fixtures''. Under the ANSI code, the difference 
between vitreous and non-vitreous ceramic products is determined by the 
water absorption value of the products. Vitreous china fixtures have an 
absorption value of .5% or less, while non-vitreous ceramics have an 
absorption value of .6% and above. According to petitioner, water 
closet bowls, as a condition for use and sale in the U.S., must meet 
the ANSI vitreous china standard.
    Petitioner believes that ceramic sanitary ware meeting the ANSI 
vitreous china standard ought to be classified under subheading 6910.10 
and ceramic sanitary ware which meets the non-vitreous china standard 
ought to be classified under subheading 6910.90.00, HTSUS.

Comments

    Pursuant to section 175.21(a), Customs Regulations (19 CFR 
175.21(a)), before making a determination on this matter, Customs 
invites written comments from interested parties on this issue. The 
petition of the domestic interested party, as well as all comments 
received in response to this notice, will be available for public 
inspection in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 
552), section 1.4, Treasury Department Regulations (31 CFR 1.4), and 
section 103.11(b), Customs Regulations (19 CFR 103.11(b)), on regular 
business days between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the 
Regulations Branch, U.S. Customs Service, Office of Regulations and 
Rulings, Franklin Court, 1099 14th Street, N.W., Suite 4000, 
Washington, D.C.

Authority

    This notice is published in accordance with section 175.21(a), 
Customs Regulations [19 CFR 175.21(a)].
George J. Weise,
Commissioner of Customs.

    Approved: February 7, 1996.
Dennis M. O'Connell,
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury.
[FR Doc. 96-5682 Filed 3-6-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4820-02-P