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HQ 085516


December 5, 1989

CLA-2 CO:R:C:G: 085516 DPS

CATEGORY: CLASSIFICATION

TARIFF NO.: 9505.10.2500

Ms. Madeleine Salgo
Kurt S. Adler, Inc.
1107 Broadway
New York, N.Y. 10010

RE: Treetop Santa Figure

Dear Ms. Salgo:

Your letter of August 8, 1989, to our New York office has been referred to this office for reply concerning the tariff classification under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated (HTSUSA), of your item W-827, which you describe as a Santa Tree Top Ornament, and which is described in your catalog as "Plaid Santa Treetop." A sample of the merchandise was submitted with your ruling request.

FACTS:

The subject merchandise, which is manufactured in Taiwan, is described as a treetop Santa Claus figure. The item is approximately 12 inches tall. The figure's head and hands are made of porcelain. The face has detailed features and is ornamented with a long white beard and white eyebrows made of textile string. The body of the figure is made of a plastic cone base covered with a thin layer of soft foam which is then covered with textile material. The article is clothed in a long red and green plaid one piece outfit and a long red coat and hood trimmed with simulated white fur. Carried over the right shoulder is a stuffed red and green plaid sack decorated with holly leaves, pine cones and berries. According to the inquirer, the item is designed to be placed over the top of a tree.

ISSUE:

Whether the subject article, described as a treetop Santa is considered to be a Christmas ornament, classifiable under subheading 9505.10.2500, HTSUSA, the provision for Christmas ornaments, not of wood or glass.

LAW & ANALYSIS:

The General Rules for the Interpretation of the Harmonized System (GRI's) govern classification under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. According to GRI 1, the primary consideration in determining whether merchandise should be classified in a heading should be given to the language of the heading and any relevant chapter or section notes, and, provided such headings or notes do not otherwise require, according to the remaining GRI's, taken in order. The subheading at issue in this case is:

9505.10.2500, Festive, carnival or other entertainment articles, including magic tricks and practical joke articles; parts and accessories thereof: Articles for Christmas festivities and parts and accessories thereof: Christmas ornaments: Other: Other.

The Explanatory Notes to the HTSUSA, which constitute the official interpretation of the tariff at the international level, provide further guidance in determining the scope of each provision. With regard to Heading 9505, HTSUSA, the provision for festive articles, Explanatory Note 95.05, at p. 1590, states that the heading covers:

(A) Festive, carnival or other entertainment articles, which in view of their intended use are generally made of non-durable material. They include:

(1) Decorations such as festoons, garlands, Chinese lanterns, etc., as well as various decorative articles made of paper, metal foil, glass fibre, etc., for Christmas trees (e.g., tinsel, stars, icicles), artificial snow, coloured balls, bells, lanterns, etc. Cake and other decorations (e.g. animals, flags) which are traditionally associated with a particular festival are also classified here.

(2) Articles traditionally used at Christmas festivities, e.g., artificial Christmas trees (these are sometimes of the folding type), nativity scenes, Christmas crackers, Christmas stockings, imitation yule logs.

For the most part, the items described above which fall under Heading 9505, HTSUSA, tend to have no function other than decoration.

It is Customs' position that an article, which by its shape, design and ornamentation is appropriately used in connection with a recognized festive holiday, is an article that falls under Heading 9505, HTSUSA. To qualify as a Christmas ornament, Customs requires that the following three criteria be met: (1) that the item is marketed and sold as a Christmas tree ornament; (2) that there is some method, generally a loop attached to the top, to secure or hang the item on a tree; and (3) that the item is not too big or too heavy to be hung or attached to a tree. The submitted sample clearly meets the above criteria. It is designed, marketed, sold and used as a tree ornament. The subject article represents a character who is traditionally associated with Christmas and Christmas trees. It falls into a class of merchandise which, for tariff purposes, is separate and distinct from dolls. Therefore, pursuant to GRI 1, the subject treetop Santa is classifiable under subheading 9505.10.2500, the provision for Christmas ornaments, made of materials other than glass or wood.

HOLDING:

In accordance with the rationale set forth above, the subject merchandise, described as "Plaid Santa Treetop," is classifiable under subheading 9505.10.2500, HTSUSA, the provision for Christmas ornaments of materials other than glass or wood. Items classified under this subheading are subject to a duty rate of 5 percent ad valorem.

Sincerely,

John Durant, Director
Commercial Rulings Division

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