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NY I80690




April 25, 2002

CLA-2-39:RR:NC:SP:221 I80690

CATEGORY: CLASSIFICATION

TARIFF NO.: 3923.90.0080

Ms. Stacy L. Weinberg
Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP 245 Park Avenue, 33rd Floor
New York, NY 10167-3397

RE: The tariff classification of plastic hangers.

Dear Ms. Weinberg:

In your letter dated April 9, 2002, on behalf of International Sourcing Group LLC, you requested a tariff classification ruling.

Samples of various styles and sizes of plastic hangers were submitted with your request. Style 484 (A&E Products) and Style 484 (Accessory Corp.) are 17 inch top hangers. Each of these top hangers is molded to incorporate a hook at the lower middle portion through which a bottom hanger may be secured to facilitate the hanging of two-piece garments. Style 484 (Accessory Corp.) incorporates a drop loop at each end of the hanger arm. Style 6012 (A&E Products) is a 12 inch bottom hanger. The bottom hanger incorporates pinch clips that operate by means of a metal spring to secure shorts, pants or skirts. Both the top and bottom hangers have metal swivel top hooks for hanging over a garment rod. All of these hangers are of substantial construction. The molded plastic ridges of the hangers measure approximately 3/8 inch in thickness.

You state that the hangers are manufactured to specifications by approved suppliers in accordance with the VICS “Floor Ready Hanger Program,” a program in which most major American retailers participate. In response to the mandates of the “floor ready” and “hanger recovery” programs employed by retailers and imposed on their vendors, garment manufacturers are responsible for purchasing specific styles of hangers and shipping garments on the specified hangers. Garments arrive at the retail stores ready to be hung directly on the selling floor. The hangers may be reused for international and domestic shipment of other apparel articles.

You have not indicated the country of origin of the hangers. For purposes of this reply it is assumed that the hangers are manufactured in countries with which the United States has Normal Trade Relations.

The applicable subheading for the submitted hangers, Style 484 (A&E Products), Style 484 (Accessory Corp.) and Style 6012 (A&E Products), will be 3923.90.0080, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for articles for the conveyance or packing of goods, of plasticsother. The rate of duty will be 3 percent ad valorem.

General Rule of Interpretation (GRI) 5(b) of the HTS provides that, subject to the provisions of GRI 5(a), packing materials and packing containers entered with the goods therein shall be classified with the goods if they are of a kind normally used for packing such goods. However, this provision is not binding when such materials or packing containers are clearly suitable for repetitive use. The hangers submitted with this request are substantially similar in construction, character and use to the hangers that were the subject of HQ 964963, 964964 and 964948, all dated June 19, 2001. Those hangers, which were used in hanger recovery systems, were ruled to be of sufficiently substantial construction to be suitable for repetitive use for the conveyance of goods. Thus, these styles may be classified separately in subheading 3923.90.0080, HTS, even when imported with garments.

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 Joan Mazzola at (646) 733-3023.

Sincerely,

Robert B. Swierupski
Director,

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