In the April 24, 2024, Customs Bulletin and Decisions, U.S. Customs and Border Protection proposed to reclassify wireless headphone sets as headphones and earphones under HTSUS 8518.30.20 (duty-free) rather than as apparatus for the transmission or regeneration of voice, images, or other data under HTSUS 8517.62.0050 (duty-free).
The products at issue are Bluetooth headsets that include speakers, microphones, and transceivers that allow for wireless communication between the headsets and other Bluetooth-enabled devices. Some are designed primarily for answering phone calls, some for listening to music, and some for gaming.
CBP finds that these headsets are composite machines classified according to their principal function and that their principal function is to convert incoming and outgoing signals into sound (i.e., to function as headphones combined with microphones). CBP states that the headsets’ transmission and reception functions are intermediate steps or ancillary features that complement this principal function.
Rulings NY N012174, NY N012171, NY N022197, NY N022195, NY N022204, NY N170023, NY N220756, NY N240329, and NY N269695 would be revoked to reflect the proposed reclassification. Comments on this proposal are due no later than May 24.
For more information on how to seek or utilize classification and other rulings, please contact attorney Deb Stern at (305) 894-1007 or via email.
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