CLA-2-84:RR:NC:N1:110 H83611
Ms. Lydia E. Lorenzo
Manager, Customs Compliance
Ricoh Corporation
5 Dedrick Place
West Caldwell, NJ 07006
RE: The tariff classification of Digital Duplicators and Slave Printers from Japan.
Dear Ms. Lorenzo:
In your letter, dated June 6, 2001, you requested a tariff classification ruling.
Your request concerns the Ricoh Priport JP8000 Digital Duplicator and TC-11 Slave Printer. You indicate that these machines are also imported by Ricoh’s subsidiaries, Savin Corporation and Lanier Worldwide. The following models are listed as being the same as the Priport JP8000 Digital Duplicator: the Savin 3540DNP Digital Duplicator, the Gestetner 5490 Copy Printer, and the Standard Duplicator SD630. The TC-11 Slave Printer utilizes the same model name across all brands.
The Priport JP8000 Digital Duplicator is a stencil duplicator. It produces a stencil for each page that is printed. It has a thermal head that burns holes/dots into the stencil one line at a time. After the stencil is produced, it is wrapped around a porous screen drum. Ink is deposited on the inside of the drum and spread by a roller. The ink is forced through the drum and stencil to produce a copy on the paper. Digital duplicators are designed for economical short run printing. Since a stencil must be created for each page printed it is usually not economical to print jobs of less than 30 copies. In this respect, digital duplicators are not designed for the type of data output associated with ADP units/printers. These machines are designed for the “print-for-pay,” commercial printers and corporate in-house reprographics departments.
The Priport JP8000 Digital Duplicator produces black and white copies at 600 x 600 dots per inch (dpi), with up to 256 graduations per dot (grayscale). With optional replacement color drums, it can use monochrome colors. However, it is not designed to produce true color printing. The Priport JP8000 Digital Duplicator has a built in scanner. Options for the Priport JP8000 Digital Duplicator include an automatic document feeder and network controllers for connecting to a LAN. The TC-11 Slave Printer can not produce its own master. It is an optional “slave” printer for offline use that relies on the JP8000 or the JP5000 digital duplicator to make its masters. It is designed for economical one-pass, two-color duplicator printing. It also lacks a scanner. Both machines have a high copy speed and make copies at the rate of 120 pages per minute. They have an automatic paper feeder and a total paper capacity of 1,000 sheets each. They utilize various paper sizes with a maximum size of 12” x 18”.
The applicable subheading for the Ricoh Priport JP8000 Digital Duplicator, the TC-11 Slave Printer, the Savin 3540DNP Digital Duplicator, the Gestetner 5490 Copy Printer, and the Standard Duplicator SD630 will be 8472.10.0000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for “[o]ther office machines (for example, hectograph or stencil duplicating machines…[d]uplicating machines.” The rate of duty will be 1.6%.
This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 177 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 177).
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 Eileen S. Kaplan at 212-637-7019.
Sincerely,
Robert B. Swierupski
Director,
National Commodity
Specialist Division