[meteorite-list] [IMCA] RE- Customs holding packages

From: Mike Fiedler <mlfiedler_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:39:14 -0800
Message-ID: <AANLkTi=MeRjiXovnmg=GLzZh9irVeWBg=HC51weqrJJW_at_mail.gmail.com>

In response to:
=============================================

Message: 2
Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:55:49 -0600
From: "Brian Cox" <searchingforfun at sbcglobal.net
>
Subject: [meteorite-list] [IMCA] RE- ?Customs holding packages
To: "Meteorite-list" <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Message-ID: <F2C9EE06AB15459193B6EE00F388A2BC at BrianPC>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
? ? ? ?reply-type=original

Brian Schroeder, Warren and all you other blokes!! ;-)

Brian, Thanks for sharing the info about the " NATURAL MINERAL SPECIMEN
HC # 7103.10.00.00 " Harmonized code. I remember you telling us about this a
couple of years ago or maybe longer, and when you mentioned that you'd been
working in shipping it rang a bell. Thanks again for this code. I've now
saved a file and printed it for future use.

It's very much appreciated by me and all the others I'm sure.

Warren and Gary, on the issue of you at first hand printing the customs
form, which I normally have done in the past and then changing to the ebay
printed format, did the printed ebay format have some errors on it or is it
just too difficult for customs agents or shipping agents to understand? I
gathered that there was something wrong with the ebay new format on their
form, but you didn't mention exactly what it was or perhaps my old brain
being filled with useless info could not decipher what you said. Let us all
know.

Hope things work out, and yes, I'm sure the Brits and everyone will be much
happier with you. It has amazed me over the past few years that where a few
years ago so many meteorites sold by U.S. collectors were only being sold to
other U.S. dealers and collectors to now where there is much more of an
international group that is buying from the U.S. We're not only all over the
universe out in space, but International as well!!!! ;-)

Have a wonderful, happy and safe day filled with cloud free skys and may a
meteorite land in your yard today!

Brian Cox

------------------------------

The Census Bureau (yeah, they own that list!) provides a page to look
a product up on "Schedule B", then as a second step, enter the result
of that look-up to 'validate' the code as being 'current'. (Computers
couldn't do that in one step, could they?)

Start here: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/schedules/b/

In a straightforward search for "collectible mineral specimen", I get
directed to a Schedule B Harmonized Code in the 9705 group:

9705 Collections and collectors' pieces of zoological, botanical,
             mineralogical, anatomical, historical, archaeological,
             palaeontological, ethnographic or numismatic interest:

               Numismatic (collectors') coins:
9705000030 Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Au g
9705000060 Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X

9705000090 Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X

9706000000 Antiques of an age exceeding one hundred years X

To me, the 90 variant, which is 'other than numismatic coins', seems
spot on. Does that lead to big import duties, or delays in delivery?


Does this section of the harmonized list seem more attractive:

2517 Pebbles, gravel, broken or crushed stone, of a kind
commonly used for concrete aggregates, for road
metalling, or for railway or other ballast; shingle and flint,
whether or not heat-treated; macadam of slag, dross or
similar industrial waste, whether or not incorporating the
materials cited in the first part of the heading; tarred
macadam; granules, chippings and powder, of stones of
heading 2515 or 2516, whether or not heat-treated:

2517.10.00 Pebbles, gravel, broken or crushed stone, of
a kind commonly used for concrete aggregates,
for road metalling, or for railway or other
ballast, shingle and flint, whether or not
heat-treated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Free 30%

2517.15 Pebbles and gravel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t

2517.20 Limestone, except pebbles and gravel . . . . . . . . . . . t

2517.55 Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . .. . . . . . t

I don't know what 'road metalling' is, but I'd be willing to bet a
good many meteorites have ended up in concrete mixes! And the 2516
series really begs to be used on a variety of achondrite specimens!
Can they split hairs fine enough to calculate a duty on a typical
collected specimen, based on $8.83/cubic meter?

Can't see too many folks falling all over themselves to open a box of
rocks like that!

Mike
Received on Thu 24 Feb 2011 02:39:14 AM PST