BOR-4-07-OT:RR:BSTC:CCI H119060 LLB
Debra S. Weiss, Esquire
9901 IH 10 West, Suite 800
San Antonio, Texas 78230
RE: Instruments of International Traffic; 19 U.S.C. § 1322(a); 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a)(1); subheading 9803.00.50, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (2010); plastic bread trays; plastic milk crates; plastic general merchandise totes; metal blockers/lock loads; plastic pallets; wood pallets; HQ 113157 (Aug. 4, 1994); T.D. 74-81 (Oct. 30, 1974); T.D. 82-147 (Aug. 13, 1982); T.D. 68-296 (Dec. 2, 1968.
Dear Ms. Weiss:
This is in response to your August 5, 2010, letter, in which you request a ruling on behalf of your client, HEB Grocery Company LP (HEB). In your ruling you inquire whether certain articles, as described below, used by your client to transport groceries and other merchandise between Texas and Mexico, qualify as instruments of international traffic (IIT) under 19 U.S.C. § 1322(a) and 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a)(1). Our decision follows.
FACTS
The following facts are from your August 5, 2010, letter, which include pictures of the subject articles. The articles in question are wooden and plastic pallets; plastic bread trays; plastic milk crates; plastic general merchandise totes; and metal blockers/lock loads. HEB, a supermarket chain, uses the articles to protect and secure groceries and general merchandise it transports from its distribution centers in Texas to its stores in Mexico. The articles which are receptacles are returned empty to the U.S. and the metal blockers/lock loads are wrapped in bundles and set atop a pallet.
The pallets are made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and wood (oak and yellow pine). One type of the plastic pallets, described as “ Plastic iGPS Pallets” have radio frequency identification tags attached to them. The plastic bread trays, plastic milk crates, and the plastic general merchandise totes, are made of HDPE, have a life span of 5-10 years, and are used 48 times a year. The trays are used to secure baked goods during transportation, are 29.5” x 22.5” x 6.375” in size, and 200,000 of the trays will be used annually. The crates are used to secure beverage items during transportation, are 12” x 12” x 10.5” in size, and 600,000 of the crates will be used annually. The totes are used to secure general merchandise items during transportation, are 27” x 17” x 12” in size, have a life span of 5-10 years, and 60,000 of the totes will be used annually. You assert that the metal blockers/load locks are made of steel and “are used to secure stacked merchandise on pallets and other similar instruments during transportation by truck . . .” The metal blockers/load locks have a life span of 5-10 years and 5,000 will be used annually.
ISSUE
Whether the pallets; plastic bread trays; plastic milk crates; plastic general merchandise totes; and metal blockers/lock loads may be designated as instruments of international traffic under 19 U.S.C. § 1322(a)(1999) and 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a)(1)(2010) and therefore, receive entry-free and duty-free treatment under subheading 9803.50.00 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).
LAW AND ANALYSIS
Subheading 9803.50.00, HTSUS (2010) provides, in pertinent part, for the duty free treatment of:
Substantial containers and holders, if products of the United States . . . , or if of foreign production and previously imported and duty (if any) thereon paid, or if of a class specified by the Secretary of the Treasury as instruments of international traffic, repair components for containers of foreign production which are instruments of international traffic, and accessories and equipment for such containers, whether the accessories and equipment are imported with a container to be reexported separately or with another container, or imported separately to be reexported with a container . . .
(footnote and emphasis added). Subchapter 98 of the HTSUS only applies to:
(a) Substantial containers or holders which are subject to tariff treatment as imported articles and are:
(i) Imported empty and not within the purview of a provision which specifically exempts them from duty; or
(ii) Imported containing or holding articles, and which are not of a kind normally sold therewith or are entered separately therefrom; and (b) Certain repair components, accessories and equipment.
See U.S. Note 1, et seq., Chapter 98, HTSUS.
You assert that the subject articles are instruments of international traffic. Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1322(a), instruments of international traffic shall be excepted from the application of the Customs laws to the extent that such terms and conditions are prescribed in regulations or instructions. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations, promulgated under the authority of 19 U.S.C. § 1322(a), provide in pertinent part:
Lift vans, cargo vans, shipping tanks, skids, pallets, caul boards, and cores for textile fabrics, arriving (whether loaded or empty) in use or to be used in the shipment of merchandise in international traffic are hereby designated as "instruments of international traffic" . . . The Commissioner of Customs[now CBP] is authorized to designate as instruments of international traffic, . . ., such additional articles or classes of articles as he shall find should be so designated. Such instruments may be released without entry or the payment of duty, subject to the provisions of this section.
19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a)(1)(emphasis added).
To qualify for entry-free and duty-free treatment as instruments of international traffic under the aforementioned statutory and regulatory authority, the article must be a substantial container or holder. As stated above, CBP is authorized to designate as instruments of international traffic such additional articles not specifically noted in 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a)(1). Historically, CBP has held in its published decisions that in order to qualify as an instrument of international traffic within the meaning of 19 U.S.C. § 1322(a) and 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a)(1), a container or holder must be substantial, suitable for and capable of repeated use, and used in significant numbers in international traffic. See HQ H016491 (Oct. 1, 2007); HQ 114150 (Dec. 12, 1997); HQ 107545 (May 7, 1985); Treas. Dec. 71-159, Cust. B. & Dec. 296 (June 18, 1971); 99 Treas. Dec. 533, No. 56247 (Aug. 26, 1964).
Pallets
Pallets have already been designated as an instrument of international traffic by regulation. See 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a). Accordingly, the pallets in the present case may be released without the payment of duty or entry.
Plastic Bread Trays
In T.D. 74-81 (Oct. 30, 1974), CBP designated plastic trays 22” x 6” x 26 ½ in size used for the transportation of bakery products as instruments of international traffic finding that they were substantial, suitable for and capable of repeated use, and used in significant numbers in international traffic. Similarly, in the present case, the plastic bread trays are substantial in that they are made with HDPE; the racks are suitable and capable of repeated use insofar as they can be used 48 times annually; and the racks will be used in significant numbers in international traffic inasmuch as 200,000 of them will be used each year to transport baked goods from the United States to Mexico. Based on the foregoing, the subject plastic bread trays are instruments of international traffic. As such, these trays are eligible for treatment under subheading 9803.50.00, HTSUS, if they are imported empty as you assert and are not within the purview of a provision which specifically exempts them from duty at the time of entry as required by U.S. Note 1, Chapter 98, HTSUS.
Plastic Milk Crates
Upon reviewing your request and supporting documentation, we find that the plastic milk crates, as described above, meet the requirements of an instrument of international traffic. The crates are substantial in that they are made with HDPE; the racks crates are suitable and capable of repeated use insofar as they can be used 48 times annually; and the crates will be used in significant numbers in international traffic inasmuch as 600,000 of them will be used each year to transport beverage items from the United States to Mexico. As such, these crates are eligible for treatment under subheading 9803.50.00, HTSUS, if they are imported empty as you assert and are not within the purview of a provision which specifically exempts them from duty at the time of entry as required by U.S. Note 1, Chapter 98, HTSUS.
Plastic General Merchandise Totes
In HQ 113157 (Aug. 4, 1994), CBP designated plastic totes measuring 20” x 11” x 5 ½ ” used to ship industrial control component parts as instruments of international traffic finding the totes were substantial, suitable for, and capable of repeated use, and used in significant numbers in international traffic. In the present case, the totes, which are used for transporting general merchandise, are substantial in that they are made with HDPE; the totes are suitable and capable of repeated use insofar as they can be used 48 times annually; and the totes will be used in significant numbers in international traffic inasmuch as 60,000 of them will be used each year to transport general merchandise from the United States to Mexico. Based on the foregoing, the subject plastic general merchandise totes are instruments of international traffic. As such, these totes are eligible for treatment under subheading 9803.50.00, HTSUS, if they are imported empty as you assert and are not within the purview of a provision which specifically exempts them from duty at the time of entry as required by U.S. Note 1, Chapter 98, HTSUS.
Metal Blockers/Lock Loads
In T.D. 82-147 (Aug. 13, 1982), CBP designated twist-lock stackers used to secure containers as instruments of international traffic. The stackers were used to secure containers to the deck of a vessel and other stacked containers by attaching the stackers to the deck of the vessel or to another container. In T.D. 68-296 (Dec. 2, 1968), CBP designated container adapters described as “cell spacers” and “cell beams” as instruments of international traffic. The container adapters were used to adapt spaces on vessels to accommodate 20 foot containers in a 24 foot space using locking devices that fit into the recesses of the 20 foot container. Similarly, in the present case, you assert that these articles are used to secure stacked merchandise within the trailer during transportation by truck by sliding onto the raised corrugations of the trailer floor between each loaded support. The metal blockers/lock loads are substantial in that they are made with steel; they are suitable and capable of repeated use insofar as they can be used 52 times annually; and the racks will be used in significant numbers in international traffic inasmuch as 5,000 of them will be used each year between the United States and Mexico. Based on the foregoing, the subject metal blockers/lock loads are instruments of international traffic. As such, they are eligible for treatment under subheading 9803.50.00, HTSUS, if they are not within the purview of a provision which specifically exempts them from duty at the time of entry as required by U.S. Note 1, Chapter 98, HTSUS.
HOLDING
Pursuant to 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a)(1), pallets are instruments of international traffic; therefore, they may be released without entry or the payment of duty under subheading 9803.50.00, HTSUS.
The plastic bread trays; plastic milk crates; plastic general merchandise totes; and metal blockers/lock loads, as described herein, are hereby designated as instruments of international traffic under 19 U.S.C. § 1322(a) and 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a(a)(1) and they may be released without entry or the payment of duty may receive duty-free treatment under subheading 9803.50.00, HTSUS.
Sincerely,
George Frederick McCray
Supervisory Attorney-Advisor/Chief
Cargo Security, Carriers and Immigration Branch
Office of International Trade, Regulations & Rulings