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NY B85425




May 13, 1997

CLA-2-84:RR:NC:1:110 B85425

CATEGORY: CLASSIFICATION

TARIFF NO.: 8471.60.5500

Mr. Leo Jeffries
Kintetsu Intermodal (U.S.A.), Inc.
1035 Watson Center Road
Carson, California 90745

RE: The tariff classification of thermal transfer printers from Canada.

Dear Mr. Jeffries:

In your letter dated May 2, 1997, on behalf of TEC America Inc., you requested a tariff classification ruling.

The merchandise under consideration involves thermal transfer printers which are known as the TEC models B-411, B-421, B-472, B-572, B-872, and the CB-416. These thermal transfer printers are designed for printing bar codes and graphics on items such as labels, label tags, and receipts.

The B-411 portable printer which weighs less than 4 pounds, measures approximately 7.1 inches in width by 2.6 inches in depth, and 6.6 inches in height. This printer may be carried over the shoulder, or by its grip handle, and is battery powered. The B-411 utilizes a RS-232 computer interface and is designed for the easy loading of continuous label rolls. It can print bar code and other graphic labels.

The TEC B-421 direct thermal printer is a desk-top printer which allows labels to be printed in continuous batch mode, or dispensed one at a time with the backing paper peeled. It weighs approximately 5 pounds, and measures 7.7 inches in width by 7.6 inches in depth, and has a height of 5.5 inches. The standard RS-232 port lets you drive the printer at up to 19,200 baud, and it can be interfaced with a computer, hand-held terminal, or a programmable scanner.

The B-472 and the B-572 TEC are desk-top thermal printers which employ a "FETHR" (Floating Edge-Type Head Revolution) which permit lighter head pressure to print on various face stocks from thick to thin, and on various smoothness of papers. They feature a dot resolution of 203.2 dots per inch (DPI) for the B-472 to 305 DPI for the B-572. A straight through paper path allows the printers to automatically adjust to print on various thickness of label and tag materials. Both the TEC B-472 and B-572 employ a RS-232C interface.

The TEC B-872 is a desk-top thermal printer which features a 305 DPI (12 dots per mm) print speeds of up to 8 inches per second (200mm/second). This printer also incorporates ribbon save and it employs the "FETHR" technology which permit it to handle a wide range of media types. The B-872 interfaces include a RS-232C Centronics parallel port, a flash memory card slot, and expansion I/O interfaces.

The TEC CB-416 is a desk-top thermal printer which can produce color labels and tags at the print speed of 6 inches per second. It has 4 high resolution 305 DPI printheads, and uses four color ribbons (cyan, yellow, magenta and black) to produce process colors in a single pass. A high speed interface ISA board increases data throughput over the industry standard parallel and serial interfaces. The TEC CB-416 "Windows" print driver permits the user to print using an application within "Windows".

These TEC thermal transfer printers appear to incorporate the special design characteristics which are common to the printing units used with automatic data processing (ADP) applications. Noting Legal Note 5(D) to Chapter 84 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), these thermal transfer printers would satisfy the conditions of Paragraphs (B)b) and (B)(c) of Legal Note 5(B).

The applicable subheading for the TEC model thermal transfer printers noted above will be 8471.60.5500, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for thermal transfer printer units, assembled, incorporating at least the media transport, control, and print mechanisms. The rate of duty will be 1.5 percent ad valorem.

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 Art Brodbeck at 212-466-5490.

Sincerely,

Robert B. Swierupski
Chief, Metals & Machinery Branch

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