CLA-2 OT:RR:CTF:TCM H011965 AS
Mr. Fernando Ramos
Avon Products, Inc.
Customs Compliance Analyst
1251 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020-1196
RE: The tariff classification of a woman’s knit shirt from China
Dear Mr. Ramos:
This is in response to your letter, dated May 24, 2007, filed on behalf of Avon Products, Inc., requesting the reconsideration of New York Ruling Letter (NY) N009848, dated May 7, 2007. In that ruling, the National Commodity Specialist Division (NCSD) classified a women’s upper body garment (Style #PP353867) as a knit shirt under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (HTSUSA) in subheading 6106.10.0010, which provides for “Women’s or girls’ blouses and shirts, knitted or crocheted: Of cotton, Women’s”. We affirm NY N009848, dated May 7, 2007, because these are women’s upper body garments which are designed with the necessary coverage and characteristics of blouses and shirts of heading 6106, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).
You assert that the subject article should be classified in heading 6110 HTSUS, as “Sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats (vests) and similar articles, knitted or crocheted”. You assert that the garment is marketed as outerwear to be worn over existing clothing because it is similar to a cardigan or warm up jackets.
Style #PP353867 is constructed from 75 percent cotton and 25 percent polyester knit velour fabric. The garment features a stand-up collar, long sleeves, a full front opening with a zippered closure and a banded bottom. There is also a beaded design on the front and rear panels. The fabric of the shirt has more than 10 stitches per centimeter counted in both the horizontal and vertical directions.
The subject garment possesses characteristics generally associated with a shirt and a garment designed to be worn over another outerwear garment. The CBP Informed Compliance Publication, “Apparel Terminology Under the HTSUS” (June 2008) provides a definition for blouses and shirts as follows:
Blouses and shirts (knit, women’s and girls’) (6106) - are garments designed to cover the upper part of the body and extend from the neck area to or below the waist. The amount of coverage afforded the wearer includes shoulder, armhole and neckline. These garments may have sleeves of any length or no sleeves. They may have a collar treatment of any type, including a hood, or no collar. Garments of this heading must have a full or partial opening, starting at the neckline.
This term excludes garments with pockets below the waist, or garments having an average of less than 10 stitches per linear centimeter in each direction counted on an area measuring at least 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters. This term also excludes garments with a ribbed waistband or other means of tightening at the bottom of the garment (although to be excluded from this heading, the tightening must be at the bottom of the garment, not above, i.e. at the waist).
The subject garment is designed to cover the upper part of the body and extends from the neck area to below the waist. There is full coverage at the shoulder, armhole and neckline. There are no pockets below the waist, ribbed waistband, or tightening at the bottom. Finally, the garment has more than 10 stitches per linear centimeter in both the horizontal and vertical directions.
In NY N180418, dated August 18, 2011, a garment very similar to the one now at issue was classified as a girl’s knit shirt in heading 6106, HTSUS. The garment in NY N180418 was described as having a stand-up collar, a partial frontal opening with a zipper closure, long sleeves with hemmed cuffs, and a small printed logo on the left front.
In view of the foregoing, we find that the subject garment, Style #PP353867, is a “shirt” within the meaning of the HTSUS and affirm NY N009848, dated May 7, 2007, which correctly classified the subject merchandise under subheading 6106.10.0010, HTSUSA.
Sincerely,
Myles B. Harmon, Director
Commercial and Trade Facilitation Division