CLA-2 RR:CR:GC 961408 JAS
Sean Murray, Esq.
Miller & Company P.C.
4929 Main Street
Kansas City, MO 64112
RE: HQ 952442 Revoked; Dies and Roll Shells for Animal Feed Pelletizing Machinery; Parts of Machine for Making Animal Feed Pellets; Agricultural Machinery; Heading 8436, Machinery for the Industrial Preparation of Food or Drink; Section XVI, Note 2
Dear Mr. Murray:
HQ 952422, dated October 5, 1992, issued in response to
Internal Advice 46/92 initiated at the Customs port of Chicago,
held that certain dies and roll shells of UK origin used on
pelletizing machines were classifiable in subheading 8438.90.90,
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), as
machinery for the industrial preparation or manufacture of food
or drink.
In a letter, dated February 18, 1998, you requested
reconsideration of HQ 952442, and claimed that the merchandise
was properly classified in a provision of HTS heading 8436 as
parts of agricultural or horticultural machinery. You presented
additional facts and legal arguments in a submission, dated June
10, 1998, and at a meeting in our office on August 24, 1998,
which you confirmed in a submission of the same date. We have
reviewed HQ 952442 and agree that it is incorrect.
Pursuant to section 625(c)(1), Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.
1625(c)(1)), as amended by section 623 of Title VI (Customs
Modernization) of the North American Free Trade Agreement
Implementation Act, Pub. L. 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057, 2186 (1993),
notice of the proposed revocation of HQ 952442 was published on
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October 21, 1998, in the Customs Bulletin, Volume 32, Number 42.
You submitted a comment in favor of the proposed revocation.
FACTS:
The dies and roll shells are integral, constituent component
parts of a pelletizer, a machine that compresses animal feed into
pellets. Essentially, a conditioner machine mixes the animal
feed and medicaments under steam to increase the moisture level
or sometimes with molasses and feeds it into the pelletizer. The
roll shells or rolls push the feed through holes in the dies.
Heat and friction from this process compress the mass into
individual pellets. Different-sized dies are used depending on
the animal to be fed or for the same animal at different stages
of its growth. To reduce degradation in the product due to
temperature shock, the hot, newly-formed pellets are then dropped
into a counterflow cooler which draws in outside air by fan and
gradually cools the pellets to ambient temperature. You
indicated at the August 24, 1998, meeting that the pelletizer is
mounted on a subfloor slightly above the counterflow cooler and
that the newly-formed pellets drop down a connecting duct into
the cooler. Occasionally, due to space constraints, when the
cooler is located a sufficient distance from the pelletizer, a
conveyor transports the pellets to the cooler. There are no
other wires or cables that connect the two machines. The
pelletizer is said to be the approximate size of a farm tractor
or large riding mower, and the counterflow cooler proportionally
smaller. As the dies and roll shells are parts of a larger
machine or apparatus, it is the classification of the pelletizer
that is the central issue to be decided.
You contend that the pelletizer is a good of heading 8436
because the making of animal food pellets bears a sufficient
relationship to the raising of livestock for food or clothing as
to be a legitimate agricultural pursuit. You note that some
pelletizers are used overseas to compress garbage, and that
between 2-5% of these machines are used in the U.S. to compress
wood pellets for use as fuel in stoves. Nevertheless, based on a
survey of entities that produce pelleted animal feed in this
country, you conclude that the principal use of pelletizers in
the U.S. is to make animal food pellets. Alternatively, you
claim the pelletizer is provided for in heading 9817.00.50,
HTSUS, as machinery to be used for agricultural purposes. You
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contend further that HQ 952442 was based in large part on
information provided orally by a representative of the client
that was inaccurate.
The provisions under consideration are as follows:
8436 Other agricultural, horticultural ... machinery; parts thereof:
8436.10.00 Machinery for preparing animal feeds
Parts:
8436.99.00 Of machinery for preparing animal feeds
* * * *
8438 Machinery n.s.i.e., for the industrial preparation or manufacture of food or drink; parts thereof:
8438.90 Parts:
8438.90.90 Other
* * * *
9817.00.50 Machinery, equipment and implements to be used for agricultural or horticultural purposes
ISSUE:
Whether a pelletizer for making animal food pellets is
agricultural machinery of heading 8436.
LAW AND ANALYSIS:
Merchandise is classifiable under the Harmonized Tariff
Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) in accordance with the
General Rules of Interpretation (GRIs). GRI 1 states in part
that for legal purposes, classification shall be determined
according to the terms of the headings and any relative section
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or chapter notes, and provided the headings or notes do not
require otherwise, according to GRIs 2 through 6.
Section XVI, Note 2, HTSUS, states in part that goods which
are identifiable parts of machines or apparatus of chapters 84 or
85 are classifiable with the machine or apparatus with which they
are solely or principally used.
The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System
Explanatory Notes (ENs) constitute the official interpretation of
the Harmonized System. Though not dispositive, the ENs provide a
commentary on the scope of each heading of the Harmonized System
and Customs believes the ENs should always be consulted. See
T.D. 89-80. 54 Fed. Reg. 35127, 35128 (Aug. 23, 1989).
Relevant ENs at p. 1317 state in part that heading 84.36, a
principal use provision, covers machinery of a type used on farms
(including agricultural schools, co-operatives or testing
stations), in forestry, market gardens, or poultry-keeping or
bee-keeping farms or the like. However, the heading excludes
machines clearly of a kind designed for industrial use. The ENs
provide no specific guidance on the scope of the term industrial
and standard dictionary definitions of the term are likewise not
useful. The cited ENs do, however, suggest that pelletizers
shown to be solely or principally used on farms and co-operatives
that presumably produce food pellets for their own animals are
encompassed by heading 84.36. Principal use, in this context, is
that use which exceeds any other single use of the goods.
To support the principal use argument, you have submitted a
research study done in 1997 by a company that analyzes business
trends. This study examined 199 manufacturers of pelleted animal
feed in the United States during 1996, to include commercial,
cooperative and integrated operations. Commercial feed companies
make pellets for sale to others and not to feed their own
animals. Integrated feed companies make pellets for their own
use, that is, to feed their own animals. Farm cooperatives make
pellets for the exclusive use of their members. The study found
that together these companies accounted for 78% of the pelleted
animal feed produced in the United States during 1996, the
remaining 22% presumably being imported. The study further
found that integrated operations produced 76% of the pelleted
feed while commercial operations produced 18% and cooperatives
produced 7%. From these statistics, the study concluded that
accounting for the 12% of the 1996 pellet production that was
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presumably imported, 65% of pelleted animal feed was produced in
the United States in 1996 by integrated and cooperatively owned
feed mills.
Studies or surveys of this kind, like affidavits and similar
testimonials, are normally of little probative value except to
the extent that information they contain serves to corroborate
evidence already in the record or such information is otherwise
independently verifiable. In administrative proceedings,
however, particularly where there is no other evidence available
and there is no reason to believe the information in the study is
flawed, incomplete or is otherwise unreliable, Customs has
considerable latitude in evaluating that information.
We note the lack of explanation of why only 199
manufacturers were surveyed, why 12% of the total pelleted feed
production in 1996 is unaccounted for, and why the survey
included only feed produced for farm-type animals and not for
household pets and non-food uses. This is particularly
significant when a class or kind issue may be involved.
Nevertheless, we consider the referenced survey to be the best
evidence available, if not the only evidence, on the principal
use of the subject pelletizers, particularly where the evidence
on which HQ 952442 was predicated is claimed to be incorrect.
For this reason, we conclude that the pelletizers in issue, as
described, are of a class or kind principally used on farms or
co-operatives to produce animal food pellets for their own
animals. These machines are provided for in heading 8436. For
this reason, we will omit any discussion of heading 9718.50.00,
HTSUS.
HOLDING:
Under the authority of GRI 1 and Section XVI, Note 2(b),
HTSUS, because of their special design and function with respect
to pelletizing machines, the dies and roll shells under
consideration are provided for in heading 8436. They are
classifiable in subheading 8436.99.00, HTSUS. HQ 952442, dated
October 5, 1992, is revoked.
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In accordance with 19 U.S.C. 1625(c)(1), this ruling will
become effective 60 days after its publication in the Customs
Bulletin. Publication of rulings or decisions pursuant to 19
U.S.C. 1625(c)(1) does not constitute a change of practice or
position in accordance with section 177.10(c)(1), Customs
Regulations (19 CFR 177.10(c)(1)).
This decision is predicated on the evidence that is
available to us at this time. As additional evidence of the
principal use of the subject pelletizers becomes available, we
may have occasion to reconsider the matter.
Sincerely,
John Durant, Director
Commercial Rulings Division