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49

Official Chapter Guide

Printed materials including books, newspapers, and pictures excluding maps, playing cards, and antiques over 100 years old.

Tariff Landscape

Duty Landscape

  • Most items under Chapter 49 are duty-free.
  • No significant Section 301 or Section 232 implications typically affect goods in this chapter.

High Risk Trends

  • Be cautious about imported printed matter from certain countries; tariff discretion may arise due to diplomatic or trade tensions.

Classification Strategy

Common Mistakes

  • Misclassifying products as printed books when they fall under advertising material.
  • Incorrectly categorizing children’s picture books due to misunderstanding their primary focus on pictures.

Complex Areas

  • Distinguishing between collections of art reproductions with text (heading 4901) and mere printed pictures (heading 4911).
  • Differentiating between bound and unbound print materials regarding their primary or advertising purpose.

Legal Framework

Executive Summary

Exclusions

  • Photographic negatives/positives on transparent bases (chapter 37)
  • Maps, plans, or globes in relief (heading 9023)
  • Playing cards or goods of chapter 95
  • Original engravings, prints, lithographs (heading 9702), and certain antiques (chapter 97)

Specific Definitions

  • "Printed" includes reproductions by duplicating machines, automatic data processing, embossing, and typewriting.
  • Newspapers, journals, and periodicals bound otherwise than in paper fall under heading 4901.
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