CLA-2-07:OT:RR:NC:N2:228
9801.00.1095
Ms. Sheri Lawson
Willson International Inc.
160 Wales Avenue, Suite 100
Tonawanda, NY 14150
RE: The tariff classification, country of origin, country of origin marking, and status under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of a salsa kit, caprese kit, and guacamole kit from Canada; Article 509
Dear Ms. Lawson:
In your letter dated December 13, 2012, on behalf of Pure Hot House Foods Inc., Ontario, Canada, you requested a ruling on classification, country of origin, country of origin marking, and the status under the NAFTA of a salsa kit, caprese kit, and guacamole kit from Canada.
Ingredients breakdowns, images of product labels, and descriptive literature for three Pure Flavor brand kits accompanied your letter. Additional information was provided via an email message dated December 21, 2012. Fresh Salsa Kit is said to contain four greenhouse roma tomatoes (67 percent), one lime (13 percent), one onion (13 percent), one jalapeno pepper (6.3 percent), and a pouch of freeze dried cilantro (3/4 table spoon, 0.7 percent). Fresh Caprese Kit is said to consist of two greenhouse beefsteak tomatoes (65.3 percent), one pack of shelf stable block mozzarella cheese (17 percent), 14 milliliter of balsamic/olive oil blend (17 percent), and a pouch of freeze dried basil (3/4 table spoon, 0.7 percent). Fresh Guacamole Kit is said to be composed of three Hass avocados (63 percent), one lime (10 percent), one onion (10 percent), one greenhouse roma tomato (12 percent), one jalapeno pepper, and a pouch of freeze dried cilantro (3/4 table spoon, 0.5 percent). The Fresh Salsa Kit, Fresh Caprese Kit, and Fresh Guacamole Kit will be packed in a palm fiber tray with a product label wrapped over the center of each kit, sealed at the overlapped area of the label, and sold to consumers to make fresh salsa, caprese (an Italian salad), and guacamole dip, respectively.
The roma tomatoes, onions, and beefsteak tomatoes may be products of Canada, the United States, or Mexico. The limes, jalapeno peppers, and avocadoes may be sourced from the United States or Mexico. The dried cilantro, mozzarella cheese, dried basil are products of the United States. The balsamic/olive oil blend is a product of Spain. It is our understanding that the kits are packaged in Canada for exportation to the United States. The kits will be classified as a set put up for retail sale.
The product labels for the three kits are presented in the similar way, different only in the names of the products, the pictures of the finished products, the contents of ingredient lists, and the country of origin of each ingredient. Each label consists of three sections. The middle section contains the brand name, the product name, and the picture of the finished product in a bowl, or plate on the top portion of the section. The bottom portion of the middle section includes a UPC bar code on one side. The other side displays the country of origin of each ingredient written in English and French juxtaposed sided by side, followed by the name of the exporter and its address. The left section of the label provides the ingredient list, the suggested recipe, amounts of the finished product each kit can make, and other information printed at the end of the label including a website, and facebook and twitter logos. The right section of the label bears the same information as the left section without the other information part, but printed in French.
The applicable subheading for the fresh salsa kit and the fresh caprese kit, when entered during the period from March 1 to July 14, inclusive, or the period from September 1 to November 14, inclusive, in any year, will be 0702.00.2010, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), which provides for fresh greenhouse tomatoes entered during the above-mentioned periods. The general rate of duty will be 3.9 cents per kilogram. If entered during the period from July 15 to August 31, inclusive, in any year, the applicable subheading will be 0702.00.4010, HTSUS, and the general rate of duty will be 2.8 cents per kilogram. When entered during the period from November 15, in any year, to the last day of the following February, inclusive, the applicable subheading will be 0702.00.6010, HTSUS, and the general rate of duty will be 2.8 cents per kilogram.
The applicable subheading for the fresh guacamole kit, when Hass avocados are certified to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program Regulation (7 CFR 205), the Canadian Organic Product Regulation (SOR/2006 – 338 COPR.), or the European Union (EU) Council Regulation (EC) No.834/2007 and Commission Regulations (EC) No. 889/2008 and 1235/2008, will be 0804.40.0020, HTSUS, which provides for avocados … fresh … avocados … Hass avocados and avocados determined by the Secretary of Agriculture to be Hass-like … certified organic. When Hass avocados are not certified to the above-mentioned regulations, the applicable subheading for the kit will be 0804.40.0040. In both cases, the rate of duty will be 11.2 cents per kilogram.
Subheading 9801.00.1095, HTSUS, provides for the duty-free entry of products of the U.S. that are returned after having been exported, without having been advanced in value or improved in condition by any process of manufacture or other means while abroad, provided there has been compliance with the documentary requirements of section 10.1, Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. §10.1).
In this case, the U.S.-origin products when used to compose the kits are merely packaged in the kits, and are not advanced in value or improved in condition while abroad. Therefore, when the above-described kits are imported, the U.S.-origin components will be entitled to duty-free treatment under subheading 9801.00.1095, HTSUS, assuming compliance with the documentation requirements of 19 C.F.R. §10.1.
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 the World Wide Web at http://www.usitc.gov/tata/hts/.
General Note 12(b), HTSUS, sets forth the criteria for determining whether a good is originating under the NAFTA. General Note 12(b), HTSUS, (19 U.S.C. § 1202) states, in pertinent part, that
For the purposes of this note, goods imported into the customs territory of the United States are eligible for the tariff treatment and quantitative limitations set forth in the tariff schedule as "goods originating in the territory of a NAFTA party" only if--
(i) they are goods wholly obtained or produced entirely in the territory of Canada, Mexico and/or the United States; or
(ii) they have been transformed in the territory of Canada, Mexico and/or the United States so that--
(A) except as provided in subdivision (f) of this note, each of the non-originating materials used in the production of such goods undergoes a change in tariff classification described in subdivisions (r), (s) and (t) of this note or the rules set forth therein, or
(B) the goods otherwise satisfy the applicable requirements of subdivisions (r), (s) and (t) where no change in tariff classification is required, and the goods satisfy all other requirements of this note; . . . .
Based on the facts provided, the fresh salsa kit and the fresh guacamole kit described above qualify as NAFTA originating goods under the provisions of General Note 12(b) because they meet the requirement of General Note 12(b)(i). The fresh caprese kit also qualifies as an originating good under General Note 12 (b) because it meets the requirements of General Note 12(b)(ii)(A) and 12(t)/7.1. However, in accordance with General Note 12(a), the kits must also qualify to be marked as a product of Canada or Mexico to be eligible for NAFTA preferential treatment.
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. Part 134, Customs Regulations (19 CFR Part 134) implements the country of origin marking requirements and exceptions of 19 U.S.C. 1304.
The country of origin marking requirements for a "good of a NAFTA country" are also determined in accordance with Annex 311 of the North American Free Trade Agreement ("NAFTA"), as implemented by section 207 of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Pub. L. 103-182, 107 Stat 2057) (December 8, 1993) and the appropriate Customs Regulations. The Marking Rules used for determining whether a good is a good of a NAFTA country are contained in Part 102, Customs Regulations. The marking requirements of these goods are set forth in Part 134, Customs Regulations.
Section 134.1(b) of the regulations, defines "country of origin" as:
the country of manufacture, production, or growth of any article of foreign origin entering the U.S. Further work or material added to an article in another country must effect a substantial transformation in order to render such other country the "country of origin" within this Part; however, for a good of a NAFTA country, the NAFTA Marking Rules will determine the country of origin.
Section 134.1(j) of the regulations, provides that the "NAFTA Marking Rules" are the rules promulgated for purposes of determining whether a good is a good of a NAFTA country. Section 134.1(g) of the regulations, defines a "good of a NAFTA country" as an article for which the country of origin is Canada, Mexico or the United States as determined under the NAFTA Marking Rules. Section 134.45(a)(2) of the regulations, provides that a "good of a NAFTA country" may be marked with the name of the country of origin in English, French or Spanish.
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.
Section 134.46, Customs Regulations (19 CFR 134.46), requires that in any case in which the words “United States,” or “American,” the letters “U.S.A.,” any variation of such words or letters, or the name of any city or locality in the United States, or the name of any foreign country or locality other than the country or in which the article was manufactured or produced, appears on an imported article or its container, there shall appear, legibly and permanently, in close proximity to such words, letters, or name, and in at least a comparable size, the name of the country of origin preceded by “Made in,” Product of,” or other words of similar meaning. In order to satisfy the close proximity requirement, the country of origin marking must generally appear on the same side(s) or surface(s) in which the name or locality or other than the actual country of origin appears.
Part 102 of the regulations, sets forth the "NAFTA Marking Rules" for purposes of determining whether a good is a good of a NAFTA country for marking purposes. Section 102.11 of the regulations, sets forth the required hierarchy for determining country of origin for marking purposes.
Section 102.19(a) of the regulations contains a “NAFTA preference override”:
Except in the case of goods covered by paragraph (b) of this section, if a good which is originating within the meaning of § 181.1(q) of this chapter is not determined under § 102.11(a) or (b) or § 102.21 to be a good of a single NAFTA country, the country of origin of such good is the last NAFTA country in which that good underwent production other than minor processing, provided that a Certificate of Origin . . . has been completed and signed for the good.
“Production” is defined as “growing, mining, harvesting, fishing … manufacturing, processing or assembling a good” in Section 102.1(n). “Minor processing” is defined by Section 102.1(m), in part, as “(6) Putting up in measured doses, packing, repacking, packaging, repackaging.”
Customs has previously stated that as long as one item in the set undergoes production other than minor processing, the remaining items in the set will receive the benefit of the NAFTA override. See HQ 965309.
Applying the NAFTA Marking Rules set forth in Part 102 of the regulations to the facts of this case, we find that when each item in the fresh salsa kit and the fresh guacamole kit is a U.S.-origin product, the country of origin of both kits will be the United States. The kits will not be eligible for NAFTA preferential treatment. As stated above, the kits may be entitled to duty-free treatment under subheading 9801.00.1095, HTSUS, assuming compliance with the documentation requirements of 19 C.F.R. §10.1.
When the countries of origin of the items in each kit (the fresh salsa kit, the fresh guacamole kit or the fresh caprese kit) is a combination of Canada, the United States, Mexico or Spain as described above, and the last NAFTA country in which any items in the set underwent production other than minor processing happens to be the United States, the country of origin of the kit will be the United States. The kit will not be eligible for NAFTA preferential treatment. The U.S.-origin products in the kit may be entitled to duty-free treatment under subheading 9801.00.1095, HTSUS, assuming compliance with the documentation requirements of 19 C.F.R. §10.1.
When the countries of origin of the items in each kit (the fresh salsa kit, the fresh guacamole kit or the fresh caprese kit) is a combination of Canada, the United States, Mexico or Spain as described above, and the last NAFTA country in which any items in the set underwent production other than minor processing is determined to be Canada or Mexico, the country of origin of the entire kit will be Canada or Mexico. The kit will qualify for NAFTA preferential treatment upon compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and agreements.
Products of the United States are not subject to the country of origin marking requirements of 19 U.S.C. 1304. Whether an article may be marked with the phrase "Made in the USA" or similar words denoting U.S. origin, is an issue under the authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). We suggest that you direct any questions on this issue to the FTC.
The proposed product labels do not satisfy the requirements of 19 CFR 134 and 19 U.S.C. 1304 because they do not indicate the proper country of origin of each kit.
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.
This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 181 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 181).
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 Bruce N. Hadley, Jr. at (646) 733-3029.
Should you wish to request an administrative review of this ruling, submit a copy of this ruling and all relevant facts and arguments within 30 days of the date of this letter, to the Director, Commercial Rulings Division, Headquarters, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Regulations & Rulings, 799 9th Street N.W. - 7th floor, Washington, DC 20229-1177.
Sincerely,
Thomas J. Russo
Director
National Commodity Specialist Division