Chapter 83

Miscellaneous articles of base metal

Section XV — Base metals and articles of base metal · 11 headings · 36 subheadings

Duty in chapter 83 at a glance

Counted across the 107 US national lines beneath this chapter's subheadings. It says what kind of chapter this is before you read ninety headings to find out.

Duty-free lines
17 of 107 stating a rate
Ad valorem range
2% – 7.5%
Dutiable per unit, not on value
1 line is charged per kilogram, litre or item rather than as a percentage of the customs value. A landed-cost estimate built from value alone will understate the duty on those.

Preference programmes appearing in this chapter

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Named from General Note 3(c)(i). A programme appearing here does not mean it applies to your goods — that depends on the line, the origin and the agreement's rules of origin.

Legal notes

Reproduced from the published tariff schedule. Section and chapter notes are binding and part of the nomenclature; statistical notes are US reporting rules and are not classification law.

Section XV notes BASE METALS AND ARTICLES OF BASE METAL

1. This section does not cover:

(a) Prepared paints, inks or other products with a basis of metallic flakes or powder (headings 3207 to 3210, 3212, 3213 or 3215);

(b) Ferrocerium or other pyrophoric alloys (heading 3606);

(c) Headgear or parts thereof of heading 6506 or 6507;

(d) Umbrella frames or other articles of heading 6603;

(e) Goods of chapter 71 (for example, precious metal alloys, base metal clad with precious metal, imitation jewelry);

(f) Articles of section XVI (machinery, mechanical appliances and electrical goods);

(g) Assembled railway or tramway track (heading 8608) or other articles of section XVII (vehicles, ships and boats, aircraft);

(h) Instruments or apparatus of section XVIII, including clock or watch springs;

(ij) Lead shot prepared for ammunition (heading 9306) or other articles of section XIX (arms and ammunition);

(k) Articles of chapter 94 (for example, furniture, mattress supports, luminaires and lighting fittings, illuminated signs, prefabricated buildings);

(l) Articles of chapter 95 (for example, toys, games, sports equipment);

(m) Hand sieves, buttons, pens, pencil-holders, pen nibs, monopods, bipods, tripods and similar articles or other articles of chapter 96 (miscellaneous manufactured articles); or

(n) Articles of chapter 97 (for example, works of art).

2. Throughout the tariff schedule, the expression "parts of general use" means:

(a) Articles of heading 7307, 7312, 7315, 7317 or 7318 and similar articles of other base metal, other than articles specially designed for use exclusively in implants in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences (heading 9021);

(b) Springs and leaves for springs, of base metal, other than clock or watch springs (heading 9114); and

(c) Articles of heading 8301, 8302, 8308 or 8310 and frames and mirrors, of base metal, of heading 8306.

In chapters 73 to 76 and 78 to 82 (but not in heading 7315) references to parts of goods do not include references to parts of general use as defined above.

Subject to the preceding paragraph and to note 1 to chapter 83, the articles of chapter 82 or 83 are excluded from chapters 72 to 76 and 78 to 81.

3. Throughout the schedule, the expression "base metals" means: iron and steel, copper, nickel, aluminum, lead, zinc, tin, tungsten (wolfram), molybdenum, tantalum, magnesium, cobalt, bismuth, cadmium, titanium, zirconium, antimony, manganese, beryllium, chromium, germanium, vanadium, gallium, hafnium, indium, niobium (columbium), rhenium and thallium.

4. Throughout the schedule, the term "cermets" means products containing a microscopic heterogeneous combination of a metallic component and a ceramic component. The term "cermets" includes sintered metal carbides (metal carbides sintered with a metal).

5. Classification of alloys (other than ferroalloys and master alloys as defined in chapters 72 and 74):

(a) An alloy of base metals is to be classified as an alloy of the metal which predominates by weight over each of the other metals.

Notes (con.)

(b) An alloy composed of base metals of this section and of elements not falling within this section is to be treated as an alloy of base metals of this section if the total weight of such metals equals or exceeds the total weight of the other elements present.

(c) In this section the term "alloys" includes sintered mixtures of metal powders, heterogeneous intimate mixtures obtained by melting (other than cermets) and intermetallic compounds.

6. Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in the tariff schedule to a base metal includes a reference to alloys which, by virtue of note 5 above, are to be classified as alloys of that metal.

7. Classification of composite articles:

Except where the headings otherwise require, articles of base metal (including articles of mixed materials treated as articles of base metal under the General Rules of Interpretation) containing two or more base metals are to be treated as articles of the base metal predominating by weight over each of the other metals. For this purpose:

(a) Iron and steel, or different kinds of iron or steel, are regarded as one and the same metal;

(b) An alloy is regarded as being entirely composed of that metal as an alloy of which, by virtue of note 5, it is classified; and

(c) A cermet of heading 8113 is regarded as a single base metal.

8. In this section, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them:

(a) Waste and scrap

(i) All metal waste and scrap;

(ii) Metal goods definitely not usable as such because of breakage, cutting-up, wear or other reasons.

(b) Powders

Products of which 90 percent or more by weight passes through a sieve having a mesh aperture of 1 mm.

9. For the purposes of chapters 74 to 76 and 78 to 81, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them:

(a) Bars and rods

Rolled, extruded, drawn or forged products, not in coils, which have a uniform solid cross section along their whole length in the shape of circles, ovals, rectangles (including squares), equilateral triangles or regular convex polygons (including “flattened circles” and “modified rectangles”, of which two opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being straight, of equal length and parallel). Products with a rectangular (including square), triangular or polygonal cross section may have corners rounded along their whole length. The thickness of such products which have a rectangular (including “modified rectangular”) cross section exceeds one-tenth of the width. The expression also covers cast or sintered products, of the same forms and dimensions, which have been subsequently worked after production (otherwise than by simple trimming or de-scaling), provided that they have not thereby assumed the character of articles or products of other headings.

Wire bars and billets of chapter 74 with their ends tapered or otherwise worked simply to facilitate their entry into machines for converting them into, for example, drawing stock (wire rod) or tubes, are however to be taken to be unwrought copper of heading 7403. This provision applies mutatis mutandis to the products of chapter 81.

(b) Profiles

Rolled, extruded, drawn, forged or formed products, coiled or not, of a uniform cross section along their whole length, which do not conform to any of the definitions of bars, rods, wire, plates, sheets, strip, foil, tubes or pipes. The expression also covers cast or sintered products, of the same forms, which have been subsequently worked after production (otherwise than by simple trimming or de-scaling), provided that they have not thereby assumed the character of articles or products of other headings.

(c) Wire

Rolled, extruded or drawn products, in coils, which have a uniform solid cross section along their whole length in the shape of circles, ovals, rectangles (including squares), equilateral triangles or regular convex polygons (including “flattened circles” and “modified rectangles”, of which two opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being straight, of equal length and parallel). Products with a rectangular (including square), triangular or polygonal cross section may have corners rounded along their whole

Notes (con.)

length. The thickness of such products which have a rectangular (including “modified rectangular”) cross section exceeds one-tenth of the width.

(d) Plates, sheets, strip and foil

Flat-surfaced products (other than the unwrought products), coiled or not, of solid rectangular (other than square) cross section with or without rounded corners (including “modified rectangles” of which two opposite sides are convex arcs, the other two sides being straight, of equal length and parallel) of a uniform thickness, which are:

-of rectangular (including square) shape with a thickness not exceeding one-tenth of the width;

-of a shape other than rectangular or square, of any size, provided that they do not assume the character of articles or products of other headings.

Headings for plates, sheets, strip, and foil apply, inter alia, to plates, sheets, strip, and foil with patterns (for example, grooves, ribs, checkers, tears, buttons, lozenges) and to such products which have been perforated, corrugated, polished or coated, provided that they do not thereby assume the character of articles or products of other headings.

(e) Tubes and pipes

Hollow products, coiled or not, which have a uniform cross section with only one enclosed void along their whole length in the shape of circles, ovals, rectangles (including squares), equilateral triangles or regular convex polygons, and which have a uniform wall thickness. Products with a rectangular (including square), equilateral triangular or regular convex polygonal cross section, which may have corners rounded along their whole length, are also to be considered as tubes and pipes provided the inner and outer cross sections are concentric and have the same form and orientation. Tubes and pipes of the foregoing cross sections may be polished, coated, bent, threaded, drilled, waisted, expanded, cone-shaped or fitted with flanges, collars or rings.

Additional U.S. Note

1. For the purposes of this section, the term "unwrought" refers to metal, whether or not refined, in the form of ingots, blocks, lumps, billets, cakes, slabs, pigs, cathodes, anodes, briquettes, cubes, sticks, grains, sponge, pellets, flattened pellets, rounds, rondelles, shot and similar manufactured primary forms, but does not cover rolled, forged, drawn or extruded products, tubular products or cast or sintered forms which have been machined or processed otherwise than by simple trimming, scalping or descaling.

Chapter 83 — Notes

Legal Notes of the Harmonized System. Binding, and part of the international nomenclature.

1. For the purposes of this chapter, parts of base metal are to be classified with their parent articles. However, articles of iron or steel of heading 7312, 7315, 7317, 7318, or 7320, or similar articles of other base metal (chapters 74 to 76 and 78 to 81) are not to be taken as parts of articles of this chapter.

2. For the purposes of heading 8302, the word "castors" means those having a diameter (including, where appropriate, tires) not exceeding 75 mm, or those having a diameter (including, where appropriate, tires) exceeding 75 mm, provided that the width of the wheel or tire fitted thereto is less than 30 mm.

Chapter 83 — Additional U.S. Notes

Additional U.S. Notes. Binding in the United States; not part of the international HS.

1. The dutiable weight of hooks, eyes and eyelets in subheading 8308.10 includes the weight of cards, cartons and immediate wrappings and labels.

Chapter 83 — Statistical Notes

US statistical reporting only. NOT classification law.

1. For the purposes of statistical reporting number 8307.10.6010, jacketed corrugated stainless steel tubing refers to tubing marked with the words “Fuel Gas”, and excludes tubing with permanently attached end fittings.

2. For the purposes of statistical reporting number 8309.90.0020 cans of a kind used for the conveyance of beverages include those with “stay on tab ends” and “ring pull tab ends."

Notes are reproduced from the published tariff schedule. They govern classification, but reading them is not the same as applying them to your goods — that is what a broker or a binding ruling is for.

Headings in chapter 83

8301 Padlocks and locks (key, combination or electrically operated), of base metal; clasps and frames with clasps, incorporating locks, of base metal; keys and parts of any of the foregoing articles, of base metal

8302 Base metal mountings, fittings and similar articles suitable for furniture, doors, staircases, windows, blinds, coachwork, saddlery, trunks, chests, caskets or the like; base metal hat racks, hat-pegs, brackets and similar fixtures; castors with mountings of base metal; automatic door closers of base metal; and base metal parts thereof

8305 Fittings for looseleaf binders or files, letter clips, letter corners, paper clips, indexing tags and similar office articles, and parts thereof, of base metal; staples in strips (for example, for offices, upholstery, packaging), of base metal

8306 Bells, gongs and the like, nonelectric, of base metal; statuettes and other ornaments, of base metal; photograph, picture or similar frames, of base metal; mirrors of base metal; and base metal parts thereof

8307 Flexible tubing of base metal, with or without fittings

8308 Clasps, frames with clasps, buckles, buckle-clasps, hooks, eyes, eyelets and the like, of base metal, of a kind used for clothing or clothing accessories, footwear, jewelry, wrist watches, books, awnings, leather goods, travel goods or saddlery or for other made up articles; tubular or bifurcated rivets, of base metal; beads and spangles, of base metal

8309 Stoppers, caps and lids (including crown corks, screw caps and pouring stoppers), capsules for bottles, threaded bungs, bung covers, seals and other packing accessories, and parts thereof, of base metal

8311 Wire, rods, tubes, plates, electrodes and similar products of base metal or of metal carbides, coated or cored with flux material, of a kind used for soldering, brazing, welding or deposition of metal or of metal carbides; wire and rods, of agglomerated base metal powder, used for metal spraying; base metal parts thereof

Common questions

What does HS chapter 83 cover?

Miscellaneous articles of base metal. It contains 11 headings and 36 six-digit subheadings, and sits in Section XV (base metals and articles of base metal).

Are chapter 83's notes legally binding?

This chapter carries 3 binding note paragraph(s) — legal notes of the Harmonized System, plus any US-specific Additional U.S. Notes. They decide classification, and they outrank the wording of an individual subheading. A further 2 statistical note paragraph(s) govern US reporting only and are not classification law.