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NY E87469




October 26, 1999

CLA-2-42:RR:NC:3:353 E87469

CATEGORY: CLASSIFICATION

TARIFF NO.: 4206.90.0000

Mr. Stephen C. Dirtzu
Natural Casing Company
410 E. Railroad Street
P.O. Box A
Peshtigo, WI 54157

RE: The tariff classification of sewn fabric lined sausage casings from Germany.

Dear Mr. Dirtzu:

In your letter dated September 23, 1999 you requested a tariff classification ruling.

The submitted sample is called a Sewn Fabric Lined Sausage Casing that incorporates spunbonded polypropylene fabric, polyester thread and polyester cord with the large intestines of hogs. The article is created by drying the large hog intestine with air. The dried hog intestine is then split laterally, and matched with a same size piece of spunbonded polypropylene. The two layers are combined with another piece of like material and sewn together on an industrial sewing machine using polyester thread and cord. The finished product is a tubular sausage container typically 82cm in length, 82 mm in diameter and weighing approximately .45 kilos. The finished casings are salted and packed in plastic barrels. The casing is filled in the United States by soaking the casing in water and inverting it on the stuffing horn, creating a sausage with an outer wall of hog intestine and an inner wall made of spunbonded polypropylene fabric. This type of casing appeals to the sausage maker because it has the appearance of an “Old World” sausage casing, but exhibits the processing characteristics of an artificial casing, such as greater uniformity, ease of handling and reduced casing failure. The casing is not edible.

Information supplied to this office shows that 94% of the weight of the item is intestine and 6% is spunbonded polypropylene fabric, polyester thread and polyester cord; 86% of the value is intestine and 14% is spunbonded polypropylene fabric, polyester thread and polyester cord. You believe the proper classification of the article is under subheading 0504.00.0020, which includes natural guts (intestines) used as sausage casings. The article at hand is a prepared sausage casing whose essential character derives from the gut (intestines).

The applicable subheading for the Sewn Fabric Lined Sausage Casing will be 4206.90.0000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for “Articles of gut (other than silkworm gut), of goldbeater's skin, of bladders or of tendons: Other.” The rate of duty will be Free.

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 Kenneth Reidlinger at 212-637-7084.

Sincerely,

Robert B. Swierupski
Director,

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