Sección: XV BASE METALS AND ARTICLES OF BASE METAL
Capítulo: 72 Iron and steel

Notes.

1.- This Section does not cover:

2.- Throughout the Nomenclature, the expression “ parts of general use ” means :

3.- Throughout the Nomenclature, the expression “ base metals ” means : iron and steel, copper, nickel, aluminium, 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 Nomenclature, 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 ferro-alloys and master alloys as defined in Chapters 72 and 74):

6.- Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference in the Nomenclature 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 Interpretative Rules) 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 81.13 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

Metal waste and scrap from the manufacture or mechanical working of metals, and metal goods definitely not usable as such because of breakage, cutting-up, wear or other reasons.

(b) Powders

Products of which 90 % or more by weight passes through a sieve having a mesh aperture of 1 mm.
GENERAL
This Section covers base metals (including those in a chemically pure state) and many articles thereof. A list of goods of base metal not covered by this Section is reproduced at the end of this Explanatory Note. The Section also includes native metals separated from their gangues, and the mattes of copper, nickel or cobalt. Metallic ores and native metals still enclosed in their gangues are excluded (headings 26.01 to 26.17).

In accordance with Note 3 to this Section, throughout the Nomenclature, the expression “base metals” means: iron and steel, copper, nickel, aluminium, 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. Each of the Chapters 72 to 76 and 78 to 81 covers particular unwrought base metals and products of those metals such as bars, rods, wire or sheets, as well as articles thereof, except certain specified articles of base metal which, without regard to the nature of the constituent metal, are classified in Chapter 82 or 83, these Chapters being limited to the specified articles.
(A) ALLOYS OF BASE METALS

In accordance with Note 6 to this Section, except where the context otherwise requires (e.g., in the case of steel alloys), any reference to a base metal in Chapters 72 to 76 and 78 to 81 or elsewhere in the Nomenclature also includes the alloys of that metal. Similarly, any reference in Chapter 82 or 83 or elsewhere to “base metal” includes alloys classified as alloys of base metals.

Under Note 5 to Chapter 71 and Note 5 to this Section alloys of base metals are classified as follows:

(1) Alloys of base metals with precious metals.

(2) Alloys of base metals.

(3) Alloys of base metals of this Section with non-metals or with the metals of heading 28.05.

(4) Sintered mixtures, heterogeneous intimate mixtures obtained by melting (other than cermets) and intermetallic compounds.
(B) ARTICLES OF BASE METALS
In accordance with Section Note 7, base metal articles containing two or more base metals are classified as articles of that metal which predominates by weight over each of the other metals, except where the headings otherwise require (e.g., copper-headed iron or steel nails are classified in heading 74.15 even if the copper is not the major constituent). The same rule applies to articles made partly of non-metals, provided that, under the General Interpretative Rules, the base metal gives them their essential character.

In calculating the proportions of the metals present for the purposes of this rule, it should be noted that :

(1) All varieties of iron and steel are regarded as the same metal.

(2) An alloy is regarded as being entirely composed of that metal as an alloy of which it is classified (e.g., for these purposes, a part made of brass would be treated as if it were wholly of copper).

(3) A cermet of heading 81.13 is regarded as a single base metal.

(C) PARTS OF ARTICLES

In general, identifiable parts of articles are classified as such parts in their appropriate headings in the Nomenclature.

However, parts of general use (as defined in Note 2 to this Section) presented separately are not considered as parts of articles, but are classified in the headings of this Section appropriate to them. This would apply, for example, in the case of bolts specialised for central heating radiators or springs specialised for motor cars. The bolts would be classified in heading 73.18 (as bolts) and not in heading 73.22 (as parts of central heating radiators). The springs would be classified in heading 73.20 (as springs) and not in heading 87.08 (as parts of motor vehicles).
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It should be noted that watch or clock springs are excluded by Note 2 (b) to this Section and fall in heading 91.14.

In addition to the goods listed in Note 1 to this Section, the following are also excluded:

(a) Amalgams of base metals (heading 28.53).

(b) Colloidal suspensions of base metals (generally heading 30.03 or 30.04).

(c) Dental cements and other dental fillings (heading 30.06).

(d) Sensitised photographic plates of metal for, e.g., photo-engraving (heading 37.01).

(e) Flash-light materials for photographic uses of heading 37.07.

(f) Metallised yarn (heading 56.05); woven fabrics of such yarn or of metal thread, of a kind used in articles of apparel, as furnishing fabrics or the like (heading 58.09).

(g) Embroidery and other goods described in Section XI, of metal thread.

Parts of footwear, other than those mentioned in Note 2 to Chapter 64 (in particular, protectors, eyelets, hooks and buckles) (heading 64.06).

(ij) Coin (heading 71.18).

(k) Waste and scrap of primary cells, primary batteries and electric accumulators; spent primary cells, spent primary batteries and spent electric accumulators (heading 85.48).

(l) Wire brushes (heading 96.03).

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Chapter 72


Iron and steel
Notes.

1.- In this Chapter and, in the case of Notes (d), (e) and (f) throughout the Nomenclature, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them :

2.- Ferrous metals clad with another ferrous metal are to be classified as products of the ferrous metal predominating by weight.

3.- Iron or steel products obtained by electrolytic deposition, by pressure casting or by sintering are to be classified, according to their form, their composition and their appearance, in the headings of this Chapter appropriate to similar hot-rolled products.
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Subheading Notes.
1.- In this Chapter the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them:
2.- For the classification of ferro-alloys in the subheadings of heading 72.02 the following rule should be observed:

A ferro-alloy is considered as binary and classified under the relevant subheading (if it exists) if only one of the alloy elements exceeds the minimum percentage laid down in Chapter Note 1 (c); by analogy, it is considered respectively as ternary or quaternary if two or three alloy elements exceed the minimum percentage.

For the application of this rule the unspecified “ other elements ” referred to in Chapter Note 1 (c) must each exceed 10 % by weight.

GENERAL

This Chapter covers the ferrous metals, i.e., pig iron, spiegeleisen, ferro-alloys and other primary materials (sub-Chapter I), as well as certain products of the iron and steel industry (ingots and other primary forms, semi-finished products and the principal products derived directly therefrom) of iron or non-alloy steel (sub-Chapter II), of stainless steel (sub-Chapter III) and of other alloy steel (sub-Chapter IV).

Further worked articles, such as castings, forgings, etc., and sheet piling, welded angles, shapes and sections, railway or tramway track construction material and tubes are classified in Chapter 73 or, in certain cases, in other Chapters.

As raw material, the iron and steel industry uses various natural iron ores (oxides, hydrated oxides, carbonates) listed in the Explanatory Note to heading 26.01, pyrites cinder (the sintered iron oxides remaining after burning off the sulphur from pyrite, marcasite, pyrrhotite, etc.) and waste and scrap of iron or steel.

(I) Conversion (reduction) of iron ore

Iron ore is converted by reduction either into pig iron, in blast furnaces or electric furnaces, or into a spongy form (sponge iron) or into lumps by various direct reduction processes; only when iron of exceptional purity is required for special use (e.g., in the chemical industry) is it obtained by electrolysis or other chemical processes.
(II) Steel production Pig or cast iron in molten or solid form and the ferrous products obtained by direct reduction (sponge iron) constitute, with waste and scrap, the primary steelmaking materials. To these materials are added certain slag-forming additives such as quick-lime, fluorspar, de-oxidants (e.g., ferro-manganese, ferro-silicon, aluminium) and various alloying elements. Steelmaking processes fall into two main categories viz : “pneumatic” processes in which molten pig iron is refined in a converter or by blowing air, and hearth processes, such as open hearth or electric furnace. The pneumatic processes require no external source of heat. They are used when the charge consists mainly of molten pig iron. The oxidation of certain elements present in the pig iron (e.g., carbon, phosphorus, silicon and manganese) generates enough heat to keep the steel liquid and even to remelt any added scrap. These processes include those in which pure oxygen is blown into the molten metal (Linz-Donawitz processes: LD or LDAC, OBM, OLP, Kaldo and others) and those, now becoming obsolete, in which air, sometimes oxygen-enriched, is used (Thomas and Bessemer processes). Open-hearth refining processes, however, require an external source of heat. They are used whena solid charge (e.g., waste or scrap iron, sponge iron and solid pig iron) forms the raw material. The two main processes in this category are the Martin furnace process in which the heat is provided by heavy oil or gas, and the arc or induction furnace process, where the heat is supplied by electricity.

For the production of certain steels two different processes may be applied successively (duplex process). For example, refining may begin in a Martin furnace and end in an electric furnace; or steel melted in an electric furnace may be transferred to a special converter where decarburisation is completed by blowing oxygen and argon on to the charge (a process used, for example, in the production of stainless steel). Many new processes have been evolved for producing steels of special composition or with special properties. These processes include electric arc melting in a vacuum, melting by electronic bombardment and the electroslag process. In all these processes the steel is produced from a self-consuming electrode which, on melting, drips into a water-cooled ingot mould. The mould may be made in one piece, or the bottom may be removable so that the solidified casting can be withdrawn from below. Liquid steel obtained by the above-mentioned processes, with or without further refining, is generally run into a receiving ladle. At this stage alloying elements or de-oxidising agents, in solid or liquid form, may be added. This may be done in a vacuum to ensure freedom from gaseous impurities. Steels obtained by all these processes are divided, according to their content of alloying elements, into “non-alloy steels” and “alloy steels” (stainless or other). They are further divided in accordance with their special properties into free-cutting steel, silicon-electrical steel, high speed steel or silico-manganese steel, for example. (III) Production of ingots or other primary forms and of semi-finished products Although molten steel may be cast (in foundries) into its final shape in moulds (steel castings), most molten steel is cast into ingots in ingot moulds. At the casting or pouring stage and at the solidification stage, steel is divided into three main groups : rimming (or “effervescent”) steel, killed (or “non-effervescent”) steel and semi-killed(or “balanced”) steel. Steel cast or poured in the rimming state is so named because during and after the pouring process there is a reaction between the iron oxide and carbon dissolved in the steel rendering it “effervescent”. During the cooling stage, the impurities concentrate in the central core and upper half of the ingots. The outer layer, which is not affected by these impurities, will subsequently give a better surface appearance to the rolled products obtained from these ingots. This more economical kind of steel is also used for cold dishing. In many cases, steel cannot be satisfactorily cast in the “effervescent” state. This applies, in particular, to alloy steels and high carbon steels. In these cases, the steel must be killed, i.e., de-oxidised. De-oxidation may be partially carried out by treatment in a vacuum, but is more usually achieved by the addition of elements such as silicon, aluminium, calcium or manganese. In this way, the residual impurities are more evenly distributed throughout the ingot, giving a better assurance, for certain uses, that the properties of the steel will be the same throughout its mass. Some steels may be partly de-oxidised and are then known as semi-killed (or balanced) steels. After they have solidified and their temperature has been equalised, the ingots are rolled into semi-finished products (blooms, billets, rounds, slabs, sheet bars) on primary cogging or roughing mills (blooming, slabbing, etc.) or converted by drop hammer or on a forging press into semi-finished forgings.

An increasing amount of steel is being cast directly into the form of semi-finished products in continuous casting machines. Their cross-sectional shape may, in certain cases, approach that of finished products. Semi-finished products obtained by the continuous casting process are characterised by their external surface appearance which usually shows transverse rings of different colours at more or less regular distances, as well as by the appearance of their cut cross-section which usually shows radial crystallisation resulting from rapid cooling. Continuously cast steel is always killed. (IV) Production of finished products Semi-finished products and, in certain cases, ingots are subsequently converted into finished products. These are generally subdivided into flat products (“wide flats”, including “universal plates”, “wide coil”, sheets, plates and strip) and long products (bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, other bars and rods, angles, shapes, sections and wire). These products are obtained by plastic deformation, either hot, directly from ingots or semi-finished products (by hot-rolling, forging or hot-drawing) or cold, indirectly from hot finished products (by cold-rolling, extrusion, wire-drawing, bright-drawing), followed in some cases by finishing operations (e.g., cold-finished bars obtained by centre-less grinding or by precision turning). According to Note 3 to this Chapter, iron and steel products obtained by electrolytic deposition, by casting under pressure or by sintering are to be classified, according to their form, their composition and their appearance, in the headings of this Chapter appropriate to similar hot-rolled products. For the purpose of this Note, the following expressions have the meanings hereby assigned to them:
(A) Hot plastic deformation
(B) Cold plastic deformation Cold-worked products can be distinguished from hot-rolled or hot-drawn products by the following criteria: In addition, cold-worked products have the following properties which may be shared by certain hot-rolled or hot-drawn products: The very light cold-rolling process (known as a skin pass or pinch pass) which is applied to certain hot-rolled flat products without significant reduction of their thickness does not change their character of finished hot-rolled products. This cold pass under low pressure acts essentially on the surface of the products only, whereas cold-rolling in the true sense (also known as cold-reduction) changes the crystalline structure of the work piece by considerably reducing its cross-section.

(C) Subsequent manufacture and finishing The finished products may be subjected to further finishing treatments or converted into other articles by a series of operations such as:
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The classification of alloys of ferrous metals and of composite articles is dealt with in the General Explanatory Note to Section XV.
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Sub-Chapter I

PRIMARY MATERIALS; PRODUCTS IN GRANULAR OR POWDER FORM


GENERAL
The sub-Chapter covers:

(1) The primary materials of iron and steel metallurgy (pig iron, spiegeleisen, ferro-alloys, ferrous products obtained by direct reduction of iron ore and other spongy ferrous products, waste and scrap and remelting scrap ingots) and iron having a minimum purity by weight of 99.94 % (headings 72.01 to 72.04).
(2) Granules and powders, of pig iron, spiegeleisen, iron or steel (heading 72.05).


72.01 Pig iron and, Spiegeleisen in pigs, blocks or other primary forms.
(A) PIG IRON

Pig iron is defined by Note 1 (a) to this Chapter. However, chromium steels containing more than 2 % of carbon are by application of Note 1 (d) to this Chapter to be classified with the other alloyed steels in sub-Chapter IV.

Pig iron is the main primary product of the iron and steel industry, being produced principally by reducing and smelting iron ore in blast furnaces or by smelting ferrous waste and scrap in electric furnaces or cupola furnaces. It is an iron-carbon alloy also containing other elements such as silicon, manganese, sulphur and phosphorus, derived from the ore, scrap, flux or fuel, and sometimes also other elements such as chromium and nickel, added to impart special properties.

The heading covers both crude pig iron and pig iron which has been remelted for convenience and to obtain a certain degree of refining, blending or alloying, provided the composition of the metal remains within the limits specified in the definition under Note 1 (a). Pig iron may be in the form of pigs, blocks, lumps, whether or not broken, or in the molten state, but the heading does not extend to shaped or worked articles (e.g., rough or finished castings or tubes).

Pig iron is characteristically brittle and unworkable; this can be remedied to some extent by annealing which gives the product superficially some of the properties of steel, the product being known as “malleable cast iron” (whiteheart or blackheart). In practice, the treatment is applied generally to cast articles, which are classified elsewhere, but any such material in the primary forms of pigs, blocks, etc., would fall in this heading provided the carbon content exceeds 2 % by weight.

Alloy pig iron is pig iron containing, by weight, one or more of the elements mentioned in Subheading Note 1 (a) in the proportions specified in that Note.

(B) SPIEGELEISEN

Spiegeleisen is defined in Note 1 (b) to this Chapter. It is sometimes considered in the trade as a ferro-alloy but is classified in the same heading as pig iron since it is generally obtained directly from ores.

It is used principally in steel manufacture to de-oxidise and recarburise the iron, and for alloying. It shows a glittering surface on fracture because of the high manganese content, and is presented in the same forms as pig iron.

72.02 Ferro-alloys.
Ferro-alloys are defined in Note 1(c) to this Chapter.

Ferro-alloys differ from pig iron in that they contain a smaller proportion of iron which merely acts as a “solvent” for large proportions of alloy elements (e.g., manganese, chromium, tungsten (wolfram), silicon, boron or nickel) and in that they may contain 2 % or less of carbon.

Ferro-alloys are not normally used for rolling, forging or other working, at least not for industrial purposes, even though some are malleable. They are used in the iron or steel industry mainly to add definite proportions of alloying elements to steel or pig iron in order to obtain special qualities, generally in those cases where the use of the pure elements themselves would be impracticable or uneconomic. Some are also used as de-oxidants, de-sulphurisers or de-nitrating agents or for killing steel, while others are used in welding or for metal deposition.

Certain ferro-alloys can be used directly for casting. To fall in the heading, ferro-alloys must be in the form of pigs, blocks, lumps or similar primary forms, in granules or powder forms or in forms obtained by continuous casting (e.g., billets).

Ferro-silicon is also used, in the form of sphericalgranule powders the surface of which has been hardened by a special process, as a dense medium (“pulp”) in gravimetric separation (selective flotation) of metal ores; however, it remains in this heading.

The heading also covers products of this type previously reduced to granules or powder and agglomerated into briquettes, cylinders, thin slabs, etc., by means of cement or other binders and, in certain cases, with exothermic additives.

Though some ferro-alloys (e.g., ferro-manganese or ferro-silicon) can be produced in blast furnaces, they are more usually prepared in electric furnaces, or in crucibles by the “thermit” process, etc.

The principal varieties are:

(1) Ferro-manganese

(2) Ferro-silicon

(3) Ferro-silico-manganese

(4) Ferro-chromium

(5) Ferro-silico-chromium

(6) Ferro-nickel

(7) Ferro-molybdenum

(8) Ferro-tungsten (ferro-wolfram) and ferro-silico-tungsten

(9) Ferro-titanium and ferro-silico-titanium

(10) Ferro-vanadium

(11) Ferro-niobium

(12) Ferro-silico-magnesium and ferro-silico-calcium.


The heading excludes:

(a) Chemical products used for the same purposes and in the same way as ferro-alloys, such as molybdenum oxide, calcium molybdate and silicon carbide, and also, if they contain less than 4 % by weight of iron, calcium silicide and manganese silicide (Chapter 28).

(b) Ferro-uranium (heading 28.44).

(c) Ferro-cerium and other pyrophoric ferrous alloys in all forms (heading 36.06).

(d) Products which in some countries are sometimes known as ferro-nickels or ferro-nickel-chromes, and which are malleable and are not normally used as “addition materials” in iron and steel metallurgy (headings 72.18 to 72.29 or Chapter 75).

72.03 Ferrous products obtained by direct reduction of iron ore and other spongy ferrous products, in lumps, pellets or similar forms; iron having a minimum purity by weight of 99.94 %, in lumps, pellets or similar forms.
This heading covers ferrous products produced by reducing the ore without fusion (see the General Explanatory Notes to this Chapter, Part (I) - (B). These products are obtained from ore in lumps or in granules or from concentrated ore in the form of briquettes or pellets. They usually contain more than 80 % by weight of metallic iron and have a spongy structure (sponge iron). They are used in the manufacture of steel. The products of this heading, in the form of briquettes or pellets, should not be confused with those consisting of concentrated ores of heading 26.01; the former differ from the latter, notably, by the shiny appearance of their cut surface.

Ferrous products obtained by direct reduction are easily differentiated from other spongy ferrous products (obtained from molten pig iron by the atomisation technique) by the fact that the former has a rough and porous surface, whereas the latter has a rounded surface showing clearly that it has gone through the molten state.

The heading also covers very pure iron (i.e., iron having an impurity content not exceeding 0.06 %). This iron, used in research laboratories and by certain branches of the iron-working industry (e.g., in powder metallurgy), is a good diluent for metals.

The heading also excludes steel wool, etc., sometimes known as “steel sponge” (heading 73.23).

72.04 Ferrous waste an scrap; remelting scrap ingots of iron or steel.
(A) WASTE AND SCRAP

The heading covers waste and scrap of iron or steel, as defined in Note 8 (a) to Section XV.

Such waste and scrap of iron or steel is of a miscellaneous nature and generally takes the form of:

(1) Waste and scrap from the manufacture or mechanical working of iron or steel (e.g., crop ends, filings and turnings).

(2) Articles of iron or steel, definitively not usable as such because of breakage, cutting-up, wear or other reasons; iron or steel waste and scrap is usually prepared by means of the following processes, in order to adapt it to the dimensions and qualities required by the users:

Waste and scrap is generally used for the recovery of metal by remelting or for the manufacture of chemicals.

But the heading excludes articles which, with or without repair or renovation, can be re-used for their former purposes or can be adapted for other uses; it also excludes articles which can be refashioned into other goods without first being recovered as metal. Thus, it excludes, for example, structural steelwork usable after renewal of worn-out parts; worn railway lines which are usable as pitprops or may be converted into other articles by re-rolling; steel files capable of re-use after cleaning and sharpening.

The heading also excludes:

(a) Slag, dross, scalings or other waste from the manufacture of iron or steel, even if suitable for the recovery of the metal (heading 26.19).

(b) Waste and scrap not usable directly in the iron or steel industry, since it is radio-active (heading 28.44).

(c) Broken pieces of pig iron or spiegeleisen (heading 72.01).
(B) REMELTING SCRAP INGOTS

These products are defined in Note 1 (g) to this Chapter. They consist of ingots or pigs normally of high alloy steel, obtained by remelting and casting of fine shaped waste or scrap (e.g., grinding dust or fine turning chips). They are not rolled and are used as addition products in steel manufacture. They have a rough and uneven surface, with bubbles, crevices, splits and shrinkage holes, caused by the fact that casting was done in used chill moulds. The casting in ingot form is done without a funnel. Consequently, they show no sign of feeder heads or hot tops (deadheads), but have an irregular surface, sometimes in the shape of a trough at the upper end. This surface often has splits in the shape of craters in which proportions of porous dross can be observed.

72.05 Granules and powders, of pig iron, spiegeleisen, iron or steel.

(A) GRANULES

Granules are defined in Note 1 (h) to this Chapter.

This heading covers granules, i.e., shot, more or less round in shape, and angular "grits".

Shot is produced by pouring liquid iron or steel into cold water or into a jet of steam; the grits are obtained by the crushing of shot, or by cold crushing sheets, etc., of hardened metal.

These goods remain in this heading whether or not they have been graded by size.

Shot and grit are used for cleaning up and descaling or surface hardening (shot peening) metal, for polishing or engraving on metal or glass, for working stone, etc. They are also sometimes added to concrete as a hardener or to increase its impermeability to X-rays or gamma rays.

This heading also covers wire pellets produced by cutting iron or steel wire, and used for the purposes mentioned above.

(B) POWDERS
Powders are defined in Note 8 (b) to Section XV.

Powders of pig iron, spiegeleisen, iron or steel are materials suitable for compacting or agglomeration and are produced by atomisation of molten iron or steel, by the reduction of iron oxides (dry process), by crushing pig iron, sponge iron or steel wire, by precipitation (wet process), by decomposition of ferro-carbonyl, by the electrolysis of aqueous solutions of iron salts or by pulverising iron or steel (including pulverised filings).

These powders (including sponge iron powder) can be sintered into various articles, including cores for electromagnetic coils in telephony, in magnetos, etc. They are also used in the manufacture of welding electrodes and welding powders, in the chemical industry (especially as reducing agents), and sometimes in the preparation of pharmaceutical products (powder obtained by pulverising iron filings).
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The heading does not cover:

(a) Radioactive iron powders (isotopes) (heading 28.44).

(b) Iron powders put up as medicaments in the sense of heading 30.03 or 30.04.

(c) Granules and powders of ferro-alloys (heading 72.02).

(d) Waste filings and turnings of iron or steel (heading 72.04).

(e) Small defective bearing balls which, though often used for the same purposes as shot, are classified in heading 73.26 in accordance with Note 6 to Chapter 84. Such bearing balls differ from shot because they have a more regular and finished appearance and are made of better quality steel.



Sub-chapter II
IRON AND NON-ALLOY STEEL
GENERAL

Provided that they are of iron or non-alloy steel this sub-Chapter covers:

(1) Ingots or other primary forms such as puddled bars, pilings, blocks, lumps, including steel in the molten state (heading 72.06).

(2) Semi-finished products such as blooms, billets, rounds, slabs, sheet bars, pieces roughly shaped by forging, blanks for angles, shapes and sections (heading 72.07).

(3) Flat-rolled products (headings 72.08 to 72.12).

(4) Bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils (heading 72.13) and other bars and rods (heading 72.14 or 72.15).

(5) Angles, shapes and sections (heading 72.16).

(6) Wire (heading 72.17).

72.06 Iron and non-alloy steel in ingots or other primary forms (excluding iron of heading 72.03).
(I) INGOTS

Ingots are the primary form into which ferrous metal is cast after production by one of the processes described in the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter. They are usually square, rectangular or octagonal in cross-section, and one end is thicker than the other to facilitate removal from the moulds. They have a regular and uniform surface and are essentially free from faults.

Ingots are subsequently rolled or forged generally into semi-finished products but sometimes directly into bars, sheets or other finished products.
(II) OTHER PRIMARY FORMS

In addition to steel in the molten state, the heading also covers blocks, lumps, puddled bars and pilings.

Blocks and lumps are chiefly obtained from “agglomerates” or “build-ups” produced by direct reduction of iron ore or by electrolytic deposition. When the major part of the slag is removed from the lumps or balls, in the pasty state, using a press or by “shingling” or hammering them, puddled bars and pilings are obtained which after rolling, provide a product with a characteristic fibrous structure by virtue of its slag content. These products are useful for special applications, e.g., anchor chains and hoisting hooks.

The heading does not cover:

(a) Remelting scrap ingots (heading 72.04).

(b) Products obtained by continuous casting (heading 72.07).

72.07 Semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel.
Semi-finished products are defined in Note 1 (ij) to this Chapter. For the purpose of this Note, the expression “subjected to primary hot-rolling” applies to products which have been subjected to a rolling operation which has given them a rough appearance.

The heading covers blooms, billets, rounds, slabs, sheet bars, pieces roughly shaped by forging, blanks for angles, shapes or sections, and all products obtained by continuous casting.
(A) BLOOMS, BILLETS, ROUNDS, SLABS AND SHEET BARS

All these products are obtained by hot-rolling or forging the ingots, puddled bars or pilings classified in heading 72.06. They are semi-finished products intended for further hot-rolling or forging. They are therefore not required to be made exactly to size; the edges are not accurate and the surfaces are often convex or concave and may retain marks caused during the manufacturing processes (e.g., roller marks).

Blooms are usually square in cross-section and are larger than billets; the latter may be either square or rectangular. Both are used for re-rolling to bars, rods, angles, shapes and sections, or for the manufacture of forgings.

Rounds are of circular or of polygonal cross-section of more than four sides and are chiefly used as intermediate products for the manufacture of seamless steel tubes. They may be distinguished from bars and rods not only by the general characteristics common to the semi-finished products but also by the fact that they are usually supplied in lengths of from 1 to 2 metres and their ends are often cut by blow lamp, which is not the case for bars, which are normally cut more accurately.

Slabs and sheet bars are also rectangular (other than square) in section but they have widths considerably greater than their thicknesses, slabs being thicker than sheet bars. Slabs are therefore usually re-rolled to plates, while sheet bars are normally used to produce sheets or strip. Tinplate bars are a type of sheet bar used in the production of tinplate. With regard to the distinction between slabs and sheet bars and certain plates, see the Explanatory Note to heading 72.08 below.
(B) PIECES ROUGHLY SHAPED BY FORGING

These are semi-finished products of rough appearance and large dimensional tolerances, produced from blocks or ingots by the action of power hammers or forging presses. They may take the form of crude recognisable shapes in order that the final article can be fabricated without excessive waste, but the heading covers only those pieces which require considerable further shaping in the forge, press, lathe, etc. The heading would, for example, cover an ingot roughly hammered into the shape of a flattened zig-zag and requiring further shaping to produce a marine crankshaft, but it would not cover a crankshaft forging ready for final machining. The heading similarly excludes drop forgings and pressings produced by forging between matrices since the articles produced by these operations are ready for final machining.

(C) BLANKS FOR ANGLES, SHAPES OR SECTIONS

Blanks for angles, shapes or sections may have a cross-section of complex form adapted to that of the finished product and the corresponding rolling process. The heading covers, for example, blanks for wide-flanged beams or girders.

(D) SEMI-FINISHED PRODUCTS OBTAINED BY CONTINUOUS CASTING

This group covers all semi-finished products of iron or non-alloy steel, under any form, obtained by continuous casting.

In this process steel is conveyed from the ladle in a distributor which feeds the different casting flow lines. These flow lines include:

(a) A mould, without bottom, with its cooling devices;

(b) Outside the mould a system for atomising water in order to cool the cast metal;

(c) A group of conveyor rollers allowing the regular extraction of the solidified metal; and

(d) A system of cutting-off machines, followed by an evacuation device.

For the criteria to differentiate between products obtained by continuous casting and other products, see paragraph (III) of the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter.

72.08 Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, hot-rolled, not clad, plated or coated.
Flat-rolled products are defined in Note 1 (k) to this Chapter.
The products of this heading may have been subjected to the following surface treatments:

(1) Descaling, pickling, scraping and other processes to remove the oxide scale and crust formed during the heating of metal.

(2) Rough coating intended solely to protect products from rust or other oxidation, to prevent slipping during transport and to facilitate handling e.g., paints containing an active anti-rust pigment for example, red lead, zinc powder, zinc oxide, zinc chromate, iron oxide (iron minium, jewellers’ rouge), and non-pigmented coatings with a basis of oil, grease, wax, paraffin wax, graphite, tar or bitumen.

(3) Polishing, burnishing or similar treatments.

(4) Artificial oxidation (by various chemical processes, such as immersion in an oxidising solution), patina finishing, blueing (blue annealing), browning or bronzing (by various techniques), which also form a film of oxide on the surface of the product, to improve its appearance. The operations increase resistance to rusting.

(5) Chemical surface treatments, such as: Thesechemical surface treatments have the advantage of protecting the surface of metal, facilitating any later cold deformation of the products treated and the application of paints or other non-metallic protective coatings.

Flat-rolled products of this heading may have patterns in relief derived directly from rolling, such as grooves, ribs, chequers, tears, buttons, lozenges, or they may have been worked after rolling (e.g., perforated, corrugated, bevelled or rounded at the edges), provided they do not thereby assume the character of articles or products of other headings.

The heading does not, however, include flat-rolled products which have been coated, plated or clad with metal or coated with non-metallic substances such as paints, enamels or plastics (heading 72.10).

The heading also excludes such flat-rolled products which have been clad with precious metals (Chapter 71).

“Corrugated flat-rolled products” means those having a regular wave pattern in the form of a curved (e.g., sinusoidal) line. For the purpose of determining classification, the width of the corrugated side is to be taken as its effective width in the corrugated form. However, the heading excludes so-called ribbed products having an angular profile (e.g., square, triangular or trapezoidal) (generally heading 72.16).

The heading also includes flat-rolled products of a shape other than rectangular or square, of any size, provided they do not assume the character of articles or products of other headings.
The heading covers, inter alia, “wide coils”, “sheets” and “plates”.

This heading also covers certain products named “wide flats” (some of which are called “universal plates” in some parts of the world).

For the purposes of this heading, “wide flats” are products of rectangular (other than square) cross-section, not in coils, hot-rolled on four faces in a closed box pass or universal mill, of a thickness of not less than 4 mm, and of a width of 600 mm or more but not exceeding 1,250 mm.

Therefore, “wide flats” have much straighter and more accurately finished sides and sharper edges than those of “wide coil”, “sheets” or “plates”. They are never re-rolled but are used in structural steelwork, etc., without further machining of the edges.

“Wide coil”, “plates” and “sheets” are produced by hot-rolling ingots, slabs and sheet bars, sometimes followed by cutting transversally or longitudinally.

“Wide coil” can be distinguished from “sheets” and “plates” since “plates” and “sheets” are presented flat while “wide coil” is presented wound in coils of successively superimposed layers with almost flat sides.

Hot-rolled “wide coils” are either used direct in the same way as “sheets” and “plates” or converted into other products such as “sheets” and “plates”, welded tubes, formed angles, shapes or sections.

“Sheets” and “plates” are used in the construction of ships, railway rolling-stock, tanks, boilers, bridges and other structural work where great strength is required. Certain “sheets” and “plates” may have dimensions similar to those of slabs and sheet bars. However, they can be distinguished from slabs and sheet bars since:

(1) They are most often cross-rolled (longitudinally and transversely) and sometimes oblique-rolled whereas slabs and sheet bars are roughly rolled longitudinally only (in the slabbing or roughing mill).

(2) Their edges are normally sheared or flame-cut and show traces of the shears or flame whereas slabs and sheet bars have round edges.

(3) Tolerances as to thickness and surface defects are very strict whereas slabs and sheet bars are not of uniform thickness and show various surface defects.
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* *
The heading does not cover:

(a) Expanded metal of iron or steel (heading 73.14).

(b) Blanks of articles of Chapter 82.
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Subheading Explanatory Note.

Subheadings 7208.10, 7208.25, 7208.26, 7208.27, 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53 and 7208.54

In addition to hot-rolling, the products of these subheadings may have been subjected to the following working or surface treatments:

(1) Hot flattening.

(2) Annealing, hardening, tempering, case-hardening, nitriding and similar heat treatments to improve the properties of the metal.

(3) Except where the context otherwise requires, the surface treatments described in Items (1) and (2) of the second paragraph of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.08.

Descaling may be achieved:

(a) by acid pickling or reduction treatment (chemical or heat processes), whether or not in conjunction with milk of lime treatment (liming); (b) by mechanical descaling (planing, rough grinding, rough sanding, sand-blasting, etc.). Mechanically descaled products can generally be identified by the following characteristics: (4) Skin or pinch passing as described in the last paragraph of Section (IV) (B) of the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter.

(5) Stamping, punching, printing, etc., with simple inscriptions, such as trademarks.

(6) Cutting into rectangular (including square) shape.

(7) Operations intended exclusively to detect flaws in the metal.

72.09 Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, cold-rolled (cold-reduced), not clad, plated or coated.
The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.08 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.

Criteria for distinguishing between the cold-rolled products of this heading and the hot-rolled products of heading 72.08 are set out in the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter - see Part (IV) (B).

Because of their special properties (better surface finish, better aptitude to cold-forming, stricter tolerances, generally reduced thickness, higher mechanical strength, etc.), the products of this heading are in general used for purposes different from those of their hot-rolled counterparts, which they increasingly tend to replace. They are used, in particular, in the manufacture of automobile bodies, metal furniture, domestic appliances, central heating radiators and for producing angles, shapes and sections by a cold process (either forming or profiling). They are easy to coat (by tin-plating, electroplating, varnishing, enamelling, lacquering, painting, coating with plastics, etc.).

They are often delivered after annealing, normalising or other heat treatment. If they are very thin (generally less than 0.5 mm) and if their surface has been pickled to render them suitable for tin-plating, varnishing or printing, they may be described as “black plate”, even when coiled.
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Subheading Explanatory Note.

Subheadings 7209.15, 7209.16, 7209.17, 7209.18, 7209.25, 7209.26, 7209.27 and 7209.28

In addition to cold-rolling, the products of these subheadings may have been subjected to the following working or surface treatments:

(1) Flattening.

(2) Annealing, hardening, tempering, case-hardening, nitriding and similar heat treatments to improve the properties of the metal.

(3) Pickling.

(4) Surface treatments described in Item (2) of the second paragraph of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.08.

(5) Stamping, punching, printing, etc., with simple inscriptions, such as trademarks.

(6) Cutting into rectangular (including square) shape.

(7) Operations intended exclusively to detect flaws in the metal.

72.10 Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more, clad, plated or coated.
This heading covers the same kind of products as described in heading 72.08 or 72.09, but, to fall in this heading, they must be clad, plated or coated.

For the purpose of this heading, the expression “clad, plated or coated” applies to the products which were subjected to one of the treatments described in Part (C) (2), Items (d) (iv), (d) (v) and (e) of the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter.

This heading excludes:

(a) Flat products clad with precious metal (Chapter 71).

(b) Products of heading 83.10.
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

For the purpose of the subheadings of heading 72.10, products subjected to more than one type of coating, plating, or cladding are to be classified according to the last process. However, chemical surface treatments, such as chromating, are not regarded as the last process.

Subheadings 7210.30, 7210.41 and 7210.49

The products of subheading 7210.30 have been subjected to the processing described in Part (IV) (C) (2) (d) (iv), second indent of the General Explanatory Note to Chapter 72 and the products of subheadings 7210.41 and 7210.49 to any of the other processing operations described in Part (IV) (C) (2) (d) (iv) of that Explanatory Note.

To distinguish between products electrolytically plated or coated with zinc and products otherwise plated or coated with zinc, the following procedure can be used:

- The products are first to be examined for the presence or otherwise of spangle by visual or microscopic observations.

- If spangle is detected, they are hot-dipped zinc-coated products. If spangle is not detected, even when magnified 50 times, the coating should be chemically analysed.

- If aluminium is detected, or lead is detected in excess of 0.5 %, they are hot-dipped zinc-coated products. If not, they are electrolytically zinc-coated products.

72.11 Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of less than 600 mm, not clad, plated or coated.
This heading covers the same kind of products described in heading 72.08 or 72.09 but, to fall in this heading, they must be of a width of less than 600 mm.

The provisions of the Explanatory Notes to headings 72.08 and 72.09 apply, mutatis mutandis, to products of this heading except those relating to width (see also the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter).

Products of this heading include “wide flats” (“universal plates”) of a width exceeding 150 mm but less than 600 mm, and hoop and strip.

Hoop and strip are usually produced by hot re-rolling the semi-finished products of heading 72.07. They may be subsequently cold-rolled to give a thinner product and a better quality finish. Strip is also produced by slitting “wide coil”, “sheets” or “plates” of heading 72.08 or 72.09.

Products of this heading may be worked (e.g., corrugated, ribbed, chequered, embossed, bevelled or rounded at the edges), provided that they do not thereby assume the character of articles or of products of other headings.

They are used for many purposes, e.g., hooping of boxes, casks and other containers; as a basis for tin-plate; manufacture of welded tubes, tools (e.g., saw blades), cold-formed angles, shapes or sections, conveyor and machinery belting, in the automobile industry and for the production of many other articles (by stamping, folding, etc.).

The heading does not cover:

(a) Twisted hoop of a kind used for fencing, of iron or steel (heading 73.13).

(b) Corrugated strip with one edge serrated or bevelled, being corrugated nails in the length used for assembling wooden parts (heading 73.17).

(c) Blanks of articles of Chapter 82 (including razor blade blanks in strips).
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheadings 7211.13, 7211.14 and 7211.19

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7208.10, 7208.25, 7208.26, 7208.27, 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53 and 7208.54.

Subheadings 7211.23 and 7211.29

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7209.15, 7209.16, 7209.17, 7209.18, 7209.25, 7209.26, 7209.27 and 7209.28.

72.12 Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel, of a width of less than 600 mm, clad, plated or coated.
This heading covers the same kind of products as described in heading 72.10 but, to fall in this heading, they must be of a width of less than 600 mm.

This heading does not cover insulated electric strip (heading 85.44).
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

See the Explanatory Note to the subheadings of heading 72.10 in respect of products subjected to more than one type of coating, plating or cladding.

Subheadings 7212.20 and 7212.30

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7210.30, 7210.41 and 7210.49.

72.13 Bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of iron or non-alloy steel.
Bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, are defined in Note 1 (l) to this Chapter.

These products (also known as wire rod) are mainly used for drawing into wire (heading 72.17) but they are also used for other purposes especially in building work (e.g., as welded netting), in the nut and bolt industry, in the cold-drawing industry, etc., and for the manufacture of welding rods.

The heading also includes bars and rods for concrete reinforcement; such products are rolled with protuberances or indentations (e.g., teeth, grooves, flanges), provided their general cross-sectional shape corresponds to one of the geometrical shapes defined in Chapter Note 1 (l). These protuberances or indentations must be designed solely to improve the bond with concrete, etc.

The heading does not cover bars and rods of this kind, straightened and cut to length (heading 72.14).

72.14 Other bars and rods of iron or non-alloy steel, not further worked than forged, hot-rolled, hot-drawn or hot-extruded, but including those twisted after rolling.
Other bars and rods are defined in Note 1 (m) to this Chapter.

Bars and rods of this heading are usually produced by hot-rolling or forging blooms, billets, puddled bars or pilings; they are also sometimes produced by hot-drawing or hot-extrusion. In general, bars and rods can be distinguished from other rolled, forged or drawn products since:

(1) They present a more accurate and finished appearance than puddled bars (heading 72.06), blooms, billets, rounds, slabs and sheet bars (heading 72.07). Their cross-section is uniform and when it is square or rectangular has sharp edges.

(2) They have a greater thickness relative to their width than the products of heading 72.08 or 72.11.

The bars and rods of this heading are mainly delivered in straight lengths or in folded bundles.

The products of this heading may have been subjected to the following surface treatments:

(1) Descaling, pickling, scraping and other processes to remove the oxide scale and crust formed during the heating of metal.

(2) Rough coating intended solely to protect products from rust or other oxidation, to prevent slipping during transport and to facilitate handling e.g., paints containing an active anti-rust pigment for example, red lead, zinc powder, zinc oxide, zinc chromate, iron oxide (iron minium, jewellers’ rouge), and non-pigmented coatings with a basis of oil, grease, wax, paraffin wax, graphite, tar or bitumen.

(3) Removal of small portions of the metal for testing purposes.

The heading also covers:

(1) Bars and rods which are rolled with protuberances or indentations (e.g. teeth, grooves, flanges), provided their general cross-sectional shape corresponds to one of the geometrical shapes defined in Chapter Note 1 (m); these protuberances or indentations must be designed solely to improve the bond with concrete, etc.

(2) Bars and rods which have been individually twisted after rolling, e.g., bars which are rolled with two or more longitudinal flanges, which are given a spiral form by twisting (steel “twists”); and

(3) Bars and rods having a single perforation to facilitate transportation.

The heading, however, excludes:

(a) Products consisting of two or more rolled bars twisted together (heading 73.08).

(b) Pieces cut from bars and rods with a length not exceeding the greatest cross-sectional dimension (heading 73.26).

72.15 Other bars and rods of iron or non-alloy steel.

The heading covers bars and rods other than those of heading 72.13 or 72.14.

The bars and rods of this heading may:

(1) be obtained by cold-forming or cold-finishing, i.e., have been subjected either to a cold pass through one or more dies (cold-drawn bars) or to a grinding or turning process (grinded or sized bars).

(2) have been subjected to working (such as drilling or sizing, or to further surface treatments than are allowed for products of heading 72.14, such as plating, coating, or cladding (see Part (IV) (C) of the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter), provided that they do not thereby assume the character of articles or of products falling within other headings;

Bars and rods, cold-formed or cold-finished, are delivered in straight lengths and can therefore be distinguished from wire of heading 72.17 which is always in coils.

The heading excludes:

(a) Other bars and rods of iron or non-alloy steel twisted after hot-rolling (heading 72.14).

(b) Hollow drill bars and rods (heading 72.28).

(c) Products consisting of two or more rolled bars twisted together (heading 73.08).

(d) Tapered bars and rods of iron or steel (heading 73.26).
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Subheading Explanatory Note.

Subheadings 7215.10 and 7215.50

In addition to cold-forming or cold-finishing, the products of these subheadings may have been subjected to the following working or surface treatments:

(1) Straightening.

(2) Surface treatments described in Item (2) of the second paragraph of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.08.

(3) Stamping, punching, printing, etc., with simple inscriptions, such as trademarks.

(4) Operations intended exclusively to detect flaws in the metal.

72.16 Angles, shapes and sections of iron or non-alloy steel.

Angles, shapes and sections are defined in Note 1 (n) to this Chapter.

The sections most commonly falling in this heading are H, I, T, capital omega, Z and U (including channels), obtuse, acute and right (L) angles. The corners may be square or rounded, the limbs equal or unequal, and the edges may or may not be “bulbed” (bulb angles or shipbuilding beams).

Angles, shapes and sections are usually produced by hot-rolling, hot-drawing, hot-extrusion or hot-forging or forging blooms or billets.

The heading includes goods which have been cold-formed or cold-finished (by cold-drawing, etc.) and also covers angles, shapes and sections made by forming on a roll type machine or by forming sheets, plates or strip on a press. So-called “ribbed sheets and plates” having an angular profile are also classified here.

The products of this heading may have been subjected to working such as drilling, punching or twisting or to surface treatment such as coating, plating or cladding - see Part IV (C) of the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter, provided they do not thereby assume the character of articles or of products falling in other headings.

The heavier angles, shapes and sections (e.g., girders, beams, pillars and joists) are used in the construction of bridges, buildings, ships, etc.; lighter products are used in the manufacture of agricultural implements, machinery, automobiles, fences, furniture, sliding door or curtain tracks, umbrella ribs and numerous other articles.

The heading does not cover:

(a) Welded angles, shapes and sections, and sheet piling (heading 73.01), and railway or tramway track construction material (heading 73.02).

(b) Articles prepared for use in structures (heading 73.08).
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheadings 7216.10, 7216.21, 7216.22, 7216.31, 7216.32, 7216.33 and 7216.40

In order to classify U, I, H, L or T sections in these subheadings, the height should be determined as follows:

- U, I or H sections: the distance between the external surfaces of the two parallel planes.

- L sections: the height of the largest external side.

- T sections: the total height of the section.

An I section (narrow or medium flange) is a product with flanges of a width not exceeding 0.66 of the height of the section and less than 300 mm.

Subheadings 7216.10, 7216.21, 7216.22, 7216.31, 7216.32, 7216.33, 7216.40 and 7216.50

The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.14 concerning surface treatments also apply to the products of these subheadings.

Subheadings 7216.61 and 7216.69

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7215.10 and 7215.50.

72.17 Wire of iron or non-alloy steel.
Wire of this heading is defined in Note 1 (o) to this Chapter.

Wire is mostly produced from hot-rolled bars and rods of heading 72.13 by drawing them through a die but may also be obtained by any other cold-forming process (e.g., cold-rolling). Wire is presented in coils (with non-aligned spirals or with aligned spirals, with or without support).

Wire which has been worked (e.g., by crimping) remains in this heading, provided it does not thereby assume the character of articles or of products of other headings.

Wire covered with a material such as textile where the iron or steel core is the essential element and the other material serves solely as covering (e.g., iron and steel wire for the manufacture of hat frames (milliners’ wire), and stems for artificial flowers or hair curlers) is also classified in this heading.

Wire is put to very many uses, e.g., manufacture of fencing, gauze, netting, nails, rope, pins, needles, tools and springs.

The heading does not cover:

(a) Metallised yarn (heading 56.05), twine or cord reinforced with wire (heading 56.07).

(b) Stranded wire, ropes, cables and the like of heading 73.12.

(c) Barbed wire; twisted single flat wire (barbed or not) of a kind used for fencing (heading 73.13).

(d) “Duplex” wire as used for making textile loom healds and formed by soldering together two wire strands after drawing, wire twisted into eyelets or loops at one or both ends for tying (heading 73.26).

(e) Coated welding electrodes, etc. (heading 83.11).

(f) Saw-toothed wire for use as card clothing (all-steel card clothing) (heading 84.48).

(g) Insulated electric wire (including enamelled wire) (heading 85.44).

(h) Musical instrument strings (heading 92.09).
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Subheading Explanatory Note.
See the Explanatory Note to the subheadings of heading 72.10 in respect of products subjected to more than one type of coating, plating or cladding.

Sub-Chapter III

STAINLESS STEEL

GENERAL

Heat-resisting steel, creep-resisting steel and any other steel complying with the specified criteria in Note 1 (e) to this Chapter are to be classified as stainless steel.

Because of its high resistance to corrosion, stainless steel is put to a very wide range of uses, e.g., in the manufacture of silencers, catalytic converters or transformer tanks.
This sub-Chapter covers stainless steel in the forms mentioned in headings 72.18 to 72.23.

72.18 Stainless steel in ingots or other primary forms; semi-finished products of stainless steel.
The provisions of the Explanatory Note to headings 72.06 and 72.07 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.

72.19 Flat-rolled products of stainless steel, of a width of 600 mm or more.
The provisions of the Explanatory Notes to headings 72.08 to 72.10 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheadings 7219.11, 7219.12, 7219.13, 7219.14, 7219.21, 7219.22, 7219.23 and 7219.24

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7208.10, 7208.25, 7208.26, 7208.27, 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53 and 7208.54.

Subheadings 7219.31, 7219.32, 7219.33, 7219.34 and 7219.35

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7209.15, 7209.16, 7209.17, 7209.18, 7209.25, 7209.26, 7209.27 and 7209.28.

72.20 Flat-rolled products of stainless steel, of a width of less than 600 mm.
The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.11 or 72.12 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheadings 7220.11 and 7220.12

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7208.10, 7208.25, 7208.26, 7208.27, 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53 and 7208.54.

Subheading 7220.20

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7209.15, 7209.16, 7209.17, 7209.18, 7209.25, 7209.26, 7209.27 and 7209.28.

72.21 Bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of stainless steel.

The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.13 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.

72.22 Other bars and rods of stainless steel; angles, shapes and sections of stainless steel.
The provisions of the Explanatory Notes to headings 72.14 to 72.16 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.
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Subheading Explanatory Note.

Subheading 7222.20

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7215.10 and 7215.50.

72.23 Wire of stainless steel.

The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.17 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.

The heading does not cover very fine sterile stainless steel wire used for surgical sutures (heading 30.06).
Sub-Chapter IV

OTHER ALLOY STEEL; HOLLOW DRILL BARS AND RODS,
OF ALLOY OR NON-ALLOY STEEL

GENERAL

Other alloy steel is defined in Note 1 (f) to this Chapter and hollow drill bars and rods in Note 1 (p) to this Chapter.

This sub-Chapter covers alloy steel other than stainless steel, in the form of ingots or other primary forms, semi-finished products (e.g., blooms, billets, rounds, slabs, sheet bars, pieces roughly shaped by forging), flat-rolled products, whether or not in coils (so-called wide-flats, wide coil, sheets, plates or strip), bars and rods, angles, shapes or sections, or wire.

All these products may be worked provided that they do not thereby assume the character of articles or of products falling in other headings (see the Explanatory Notes to headings 72.06 to 72.17).

The metals most commonly present in other alloy steel are manganese, nickel, chromium, tungsten (wolfram), molybdenum, vanadium and cobalt; the most common non-metal additive is silicon. These alloying materials confer special properties to the steel, e.g., resistance to shock and wear (e.g., manganese steels); improved electrical qualities (silicon steels); improved tempering qualities (e.g., vanadium steels); or increased cutting speed (e.g., chrome-tungsten steels).

Other alloy steels are used for many purposes requiring special qualities (e.g., durability, increased hardness, resilience, strength), for example, in armaments, tools and cutlery, and machinery.

Alloy steels of this sub-Chapter include:

(1) Alloy engineering and structural steels usually containing the following elements: chromium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon and vanadium.

(2) Alloy steels having improved tensile strength and welding properties containing in particular very small quantities of boron (0.0008 % or more by weight) or of niobium (0.06 % or more by weight).

(3) Alloy steels, containing chromium or copper, which are weather resistant.

(4) Alloy steels for so-called “magnetic” sheets (having a low magnetic loss) generally containing 3 to 4 % of silicon and possibly aluminium.

(5) Free-cutting alloy steels which not only conform to the requirements of Note 1 (f) but also contain at least one of the following elements: lead, sulphur, selenium, tellurium or bismuth.

(6) Alloy bearing steels (generally containing chromium).

(7) Alloy manganese silicon spring steels (containing manganese, silicon and possibly chromium or molybdenum) and other alloy steels for springs.

(8) Non-magnetic alloy steels resistant to shock and abrasion, having a high manganese content.

(9) High speed steels: alloy steels containing, with or without other alloy elements, at least two of the three elements molybdenum, tungsten and vanadium with a combined content by weight of 7 % or more, 0.6 % or more of carbon and 3 to 6 % of chromium.

(10) Non-distorting tool steels: containing generally by weight 12 % or more of chromium and 2 % or more of carbon.
(11) Other alloy tool steels.

(12) Permanent magnet steels containing aluminium, nickel, and cobalt.

(13) Non-magnetic alloy steels which are characterised by their manganese or nickel content, other than those covered by sub-Chapter III.

(14) Steels for control rods in nuclear reactors (with high boron content).

This sub-Chapter also includes hollow drill bars and rods, of alloy or non-alloy steel (heading 72.28).

72.24 Other alloy steel in ingots or other primary forms; semi-finished products of other alloy steel.

The provisions of the Explanatory Note to headings 72.06 and 72.07 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.

72.25 - Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of 600 mm or more.
The provisions of the Explanatory Notes to headings 72.08 to 72.10 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheadings 7225.30 and 7225.40

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7208.10, 7208.25, 7208.26, 7208.27, 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53 and 7208.54.

Subheading 7225.50

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7209.15, 7209.16, 7209.17, 7209.18, 7209.25, 7209.26, 7209.27 and 7209.28.

Subheadings 7225.91 and 7225.92

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7210.30, 7210.41 and 7210.49.

72.26 Flat-rolled products of other alloy steel, of a width of less than 600 mm.

The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.11 and 72.12 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheading 7226.91

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7208.10, 7208.25, 7208.26, 7208.27, 7208.36, 7208.37, 7208.38, 7208.39, 7208.40, 7208.51, 7208.52, 7208.53 and 7208.54.

Subheading 7226.92

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7209.15, 7209.16, 7209.17, 7209.18, 7209.25, 7209.26, 7209.27 and 7209.28.

72.27 Bars and rods, hot-rolled, in irregularly wound coils, of other alloy steel.
The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.13 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.

72.28 Other bars and rods of other alloy steel; angles, shapes and sections, of other alloy steel; hollow drill bars and rods, of alloy or non-alloy steel.
(A) OTHER BARS AND RODS; ANGLES, SHAPES AND SECTIONS

The provisions of the Explanatory Notes to headings 72.14 to 72.16 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.

(B) HOLLOW DRILL BARS AND RODS

Hollow drill bars and rods are defined in Note 1 (p) to this Chapter. They are also known as drill steel.

Drill steel is produced by piercing billets of alloy or non-alloy steel which are then re-rolled. The usual cross-sections are round, hexagonal, octagonal or quarter octagonal (square with the corners lopped off). The steel may be cut into short pieces for the manufacture of drill bits which fall in heading 82.07; they are also used in lengths up to five or six metres to transmit power when drilling at a distance. The hole down the length conducts liquid to the cutting point both for lubrication and to minimise the spreading of dust.
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Subheading Explanatory Note.

Subheading 7228.50

See the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7215.10 and 7215.50.

72.29 Wire of other alloy steel.
The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 72.17 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the products of this heading.
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Chapter 73

Articles of iron or steel
Notes.

1.- In this Chapter the expression “cast iron” applies to products obtained by casting in which iron
predominates by weight over each of the other elements and which do not comply with the chemical
composition of steel as defined in Note 1 (d) to Chapter 72.

2.- In this Chapter the word “wire” means hot or cold-formed products of any cross-sectional shape, of which no cross-sectional dimension exceeds 16 mm.
GENERAL

This Chapter covers a certain number of specific articles in headings 73.01 to 73.24, and in headings 73.25 and 73.26 a group of articles not specified or included in Chapter 82 or 83 and not falling in other Chapters of the Nomenclature, of iron (including cast iron as defined in Note 1 to this Chapter) or steel.

For the purposes of this Chapter, the expressions “tubes and pipes” and “hollow profiles” have the following meanings hereby assigned to them:

(1) Tubes and pipes

Concentric hollow products, of uniform cross-section with only one enclosed void along their whole length, having their inner and outer surfaces of the same form. Steel tubes are mainly of circular, oval, rectangular (including square) cross-sections but in addition may include equilateral triangular and other regular convex polygonal cross-sections. Products of cross-section other than circular, with rounded corners along their whole length, and tubes with upset ends, are also to be considered as tubes. They may be polished, coated, bent (including coiled tubing), threaded and coupled or not, drilled, waisted, expanded, cone shaped or fitted with flanges, collars or rings.

(2) Hollow profiles

Hollow products not conforming to the above definition and mainly those not having their inner and outer surfaces of the same form.

The General Explanatory Note to Chapter 72 applies, mutatis mutandis, to this Chapter.

73.01 Sheet piling of iron or steel, whether or not drilled, punched or made from assembled elements; welded angles, shapes and sections, of iron or steel.
Sheet piling consists of sections obtained by rolling, drawing, pressing, press-folding or forming on roller machines, or by assembling rolled parts (e.g. by riveting, welding, crimping). These sections can be fitted to each other by being simply interlocked or even by having their longitudinal sides juxtaposed. For this purpose, both types have, on the longitudinal sides at least, connecting devices (e.g. grooves, flanges, interlocks).
This heading includes:

(1) Sheet piling angle or corner pieces, which are sections intended to form corners; for this purpose either folded sections or sections which are cut along their length are used, the parts so obtained being then welded or riveted to form an angle.
(2) Joining sheet piling sections with three or four arms for making partition walls.

(3) Connecting sheet piling sections whose shape enables them to be used for connecting different types of sheet piling.

(4) Sheet piling conduits and columns which are driven into the ground in such a manner that they join together without being forcibly interlocked. The sheet piling conduits are corrugated in shape. Sheet piling columns are made up of two sections welded together.

Sheet piling is generally used for making walls in sandy, waterlogged or submerged ground for civil engineering works such as dams, dykes or trenches.

The heading also includes welded angles, shapes and sections. The Explanatory Note to
heading 72.16 applies, mutatis mutandis, to profiles obtained by welding.

The heading does not cover:

(a) Welded hollow profiles (heading 73.06).

(b) Sheet piling assembled into piles which have no “interlocks” available for external connection (heading 73.08).

73.02 Railway or tramway track construction material of iron or steel, the following : rails, check-rails and rack rails, switch blades, crossing frogs, point rods and other crossing pieces, sleepers (cross-ties), fish-plates, chairs, chair wedges, sole plates (base plates), rail clips, bedplates, ties and other material specialized for jointing or fixing rails.
This heading covers iron or steel railway and tramway track construction material, whether of normal or narrow gauge.

(1) Rails for railways or tramways are hot-rolled products. The heading covers all lengths of such rails including bull head rails, flange (or flat-bottomed) rails, grooved tram rails, slot rails for electric tramways, and conductor-rails, etc. This heading covers all rails of the type normally used for railway or tramway track, irrespective of their intended use (over-head transporters, mobile cranes, etc.). It does not, however, cover rails not of the railway or tramway type (e.g., sliding door rails and lift rails). Check-rails, also known as guard rails or safety rails, are fixed to track rails to prevent derailments at crossings and curves. Rack rails are intended for steep gradient railways. One type consists of two long parallel bars connected by closely spaced transverse rods; the spaces between these rods are designed to engage the teeth of the cogged wheel beneath the locomotive. A second type consists of a toothed rail which engages similarly with the cogged wheel. All the above rails may be straight, curved or drilled with bolt holes.

(2) Switch blades, crossing frogs, point rods and other crossing pieces which may be cast or otherwise obtained, are used at the junctions or intersections of the permanent way.

(3) Iron or steel “sleepers” (cross-ties) are used to support the rails and keep them parallel.

They are usually pressed into final shape after rolling, but they may also be assembled by welding or riveting several elements together. They normally have a cross-section in the form of a “U” or a very short-legged capital omega, and they remain in the heading whether or not drilled, punched, slotted, or fitted with chairs or sole plates, or with integral formed rail fastening housings.

(4) Fish-plates are hot-rolled, forged or cast products of various shapes (flat, shouldered, angled, etc.) used for jointing one rail to the next. They fall in the heading whether or not drilled or punched.

(5) Chairs (usually of cast iron) are used to fix bull-head rails to the sleepers; they are secured by coach screws or bolts.

Chair wedges are used to hold the rails in the chairs.

Sole plates (base plates, sleeper plates) are used in fixing flat-bottomed rails to sleepers. They protect the sleepers and are fixed to them by cramps, bolts, coach screws, spikes or, in the case of steel, by welding. Rail clips are likewise used to fix flat-bottomed rails to the sleepers; they are bolted to the sleepers and clamp the flat bottom of the rail to them. The heading also covers other rigid railway rail fixing devices, such as those obtained by bending a steel bar into an approximate L-shape, the shortest side pressing against the flange of the rail and the longest side, with its end slightly flattened but not pointed, being fixed in a hole previously drilled in the sleeper. Furthermore, resilient rail fastening devices are covered by this heading. These are manufactured from spring steel and clamp the rail to the sleeper or sole plate. The clamping force is obtained by a geometrical deflection of the fastening from the “ as manufactured ” condition. A pad or insulating device, usually of rubber or plastics, is interposed between the fastening and the rail or the fastening and the sleeper.

(6) Bedplates and ties are used to fix the rails in their parallel position.

Some special spacing-ties and angle-bars are designed to be bolted on to a number of successive wooden sleepers; being thus fixed at right angles to the sleepers they serve to prevent deformation (or “creep”) of the track at certain points.

(7) Other specialised rail anchors are devices attached or clamped to the rail where longitudinal creep occurs. These bear against the sleeper or sole plate tending to prevent such longitudinal movement.

The heading does not cover:

(a) Screws, bolts, nuts, rivets and spikes used for fixing track construction materials (headings 73.17 and 73.18).

(b) Assembled track, turntables, platform buffers and loading gauges (heading 86.08).

73.03 Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, of cast iron.

This heading applies to tubes, pipes and hollow profiles manufactured of cast iron as defined in Note 1 to this Chapter.

They may be manufactured by casting in moulds or by centrifugal casting; in the latter case, the molten iron is poured into a horizontal cylinder which is rapidly rotated so that the metal is forced centrifugally against the walls where it solidifies.

These tubes, pipes and hollow profiles may be straight or curved, plain, finned or gilled. They may be socketed, flanged integrally or flanged by welding or threading. To facilitate assembly, socketed pipes have one end expanded to receive the end of a second pipe. Flanged pipes can be assembled by means of collars, nuts, bolts, clamps, etc., while threaded or plain end pipes are assembled by means of couplings, rings or collars.

This heading also covers tubes, pipes and hollow profiles with multiple or branch openings, and those which are covered, for example, with zinc, plastics, bitumen.

Tubes and pipes of this heading are mainly used for pressure or gravity pipelines for water, sewer evacuation, for low pressure gas distribution, as gutter or drain-pipes or for drainage.
The heading does not cover:

(a) Tube or pipe fittings (heading 73.07).

(b) Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles made up into identifiable parts of articles, classified in their respective headings, such as sections of central heating radiators (heading 73.22) and machinery parts (Section XVI).

73.04 Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, seamless, of iron (other than cast iron) or steel.
Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles of this heading may be manufactured by the following processes :

(A) Hot-rolling of an intermediate product, which can be either an ingot, rolled and peeled, a billet or a round obtained by rolling or continuous casting. This process of manufacture includes:

(B) Hot-extrusion in a press using glass (Ugine-Sejournet process) or another lubricant, of a round. This method actually includes the following operations: piercing, expansion or not, and extrusion. The operations described above are followed by different finishing operations: (
C) Casting or centrifugal casting.

(D) Deep drawing of a disc placed over a forming mould, the blank produced being subsequently hot-drawn.

(E) Forging.

(F) Machining of bars followed by cold-drawing or cold-rolling (cold-reducing) operations (excluding hollow drill bars of heading 72.28).

See the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter concerning the distinction between tubes and pipes on the one hand and hollow profiles on the other.
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The products of this heading may be coated, for example, with plastics or with glass wool combined with bitumen.

This heading also covers finned or gilled tubes or pipes and hollow profiles such as integrally finned or gilled tubes with longitudinal or transversal fins.

The products of this heading include, in particular, line pipes of a kind used for oil or gas, casing, tubing and drill pipes of a kind used in drilling for oil or gas, tubes and pipes suitable for use in boilers, superheaters, heat exchangers, condensers, refining furnaces, feedwater heaters for power stations, galvanised or black tubes (so-called gas tubes) for high or medium pressure steam, or gas or water distribution in buildings, as well as tubes for water or gas street distribution mains. In addition tubes and pipes are used for the manufacture of parts for automobiles or for machinery, of rings for ball bearings, cylindrical, tapered or needle bearings or for other mechanical uses, for scaffolding, tubular structures or building construction.
The heading excludes:

(a) Tubes and pipes of cast iron (heading 73.03) and tubes and pipes of iron or steel of heading 73.05 or 73.06.

(b) Hollow profiles of cast iron (heading 73.03) and hollow profiles of iron or steel of heading 73.06.

(c) Tube or pipe fittings of iron or steel (heading 73.07).

(d) Flexible tubing of iron or steel with or without fittings (including thermostatic bellows and expansion joints) (heading 83.07).

(e) Insulated electrical conduit tubing (heading 85.47).

(f) Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles made up into specific identifiable articles, e.g., those prepared for use in structures (heading 73.08), tubular sections of central heating radiators (heading 73.22), exhaust manifolds for internal combustion piston engines (heading 84.09), other machinery parts (Section XVI), exhaust boxes (silencers) and exhaust pipes of vehicles of Chapter 87 (e.g., heading 87.08 or 87.14), saddle pillars and frames for cycles (heading 87.14).
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheadings 7304.11, 7304.19, 7304.22, 7304.23, 7304.24 and 7304.29

These subheadings cover all such articles irrespective of the standards or technical specifications which they meet (e.g., American Petroleum Institute (API) standards 5L or 5LU for line pipe and API standards 5A, 5AC or 5AX for casing, tubing and drill pipe).

Subheadings 7304.31, 7304.39, 7304.41, 7304.49, 7304.51 and 7304.59

In order to distinguish between the cold worked products and the other products of these subheadings, see the General Explanatory Note to Chapter 72, Part IV (B), second paragraph.

73.05 Other tubes and pipes (for example, welded, riveted or similarly closed), having circular cross-sections, the external diameter of which exceeds 406.4 mm, of iron or steel.
The tubes and pipes of this heading are obtained, for example, by welding or riveting preformed, unclosed, tubular shapes produced from flat-rolled products.

The tubular shapes can be produced:

- longitudinally or spirally in a continuous operation by means of a set of rollers, for flat-rolled products in coils; or

- longitudinally in a non-continuous operation by means of a press or rolling machine, for flat-rolled products not in coils.

In the case of welded articles, the abutting edges are welded without filler metal by flash-welding, by electrical resistance or induction welding, or by submerged arc welding with filler metal and flux or gas protection to prevent oxidation. As regards products obtained by riveting, the abutting edges are overlapped and joined by rivets.

The products of this heading may be coated with, for example, plastics or with glass wool combined with bitumen.

They include line pipes of a kind used for oil or gas, casings for oil or gas wells, tubes for long distance waterlines or slurry mains for coal or other solid materials, tubes for piling or structural columns, as well as hydroelectric conduits, usually reinforced with rings.
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The heading does not cover:

(a) Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles, of heading 73.03, 73.04 or 73.06.

(b) Tube or pipe fittings of iron or steel (heading 73.07).

(c) Tubes or pipes made up into specific identifiable articles.
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheadings 7305.11, 7305.12, 7305.19 and 7305.20

The provisions of the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7304.11, 7304.19, 7304.22, 7304.23, 7304.24 and 7304.29 apply, mutatis mutandis, to these subheadings.

Subheading 7305.11

This subheading covers tubes manufactured from steel plate by forming in a press or by rolling, and by welding by an electric arc with the addition of metal and with flux to prevent oxidation of the metal at the moment of fusion.

After welding there is a raised bead of metal, the “ weld bead ”, which is clearly visible on the external surface of the finished tube.

Subheading 7305.12

This subheading covers mainly tubes manufactured from coils of steel by continuous forming through a train of forming rolls and electric welding by resistance or induction without the addition of metal. After welding there is no raised bead of metal on the external surface of the finished tube.

73.06 Other tubes, pipes and hollow profiles (for example, open seam or welded, riveted or similarly closed), of iron or steel.
The provisions of the Explanatory Note to heading 73.05 apply, mutatis mutandis, to the articles of this heading.

This heading also includes:

(1) Tubes and pipes welded by forging, known as butt-welded tubes and pipes.

(2) Tubes and pipes with closed edges, i.e. tubes and pipes, in which the edges touch or cover each other and which are known as open seam tubes. However, products having an open slit along the whole length are classified as sections in heading 72.16, 72.22 or 72.28.
(3) Tubes and pipes in which the abutting edges are joined by clipping.

Certain longitudinally welded tubes and pipes of this heading have undergone hot or cold drawing or rolling to obtain products having a reduced outside diameter or wall thickness and tighter size tolerances. These cold-working methods also allow different surface finishes to be obtained including polished surfaces, as mentioned in the Explanatory Note to heading 73.04.

See the General Explanatory Note to this Chapter concerning the distinction between tubes and pipes and hollow profiles.
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This heading includes, in particular, line pipes of a kind used for oil or gas, casing and tubing of a kind used in drilling for oil or gas, tubes and pipes suitable for use in boilers, superheaters, heat exchangers, condensers, feed-water heaters for power stations, galvanised or black tubes (so-called gas tubes) for high or medium pressure steam or water distribution in buildings, as well as tubes for water or gas street distribution mains. In addition tubes, pipes and hollow profiles are used for the manufacture of parts for automobiles or for machinery, bicycle frames, prams, or for other structural uses, scaffolding or tubular structures or building construction. “Open seam” tubes are used, for example, as frames for metal furniture.

This heading also includes tubes, pipes and hollow profiles coated with plastics or with glass wool combined with bitumen as well as finned or gilled tubes with longitudinal or transversal fins.

The heading excludes:

(a) Tubes and pipes of cast iron (heading 73.03) and tubes and pipes of iron or steel of heading 73.04 or 73.05.

(b) Hollow profiles of cast iron (heading 73.03) and hollow profiles of iron or steel of heading 73.04.

(c) Tube or pipe fittings of iron or steel (heading 73.07).

(d) Flexible tubing of iron or steel, with or without fittings (including thermostatic bellows and expansion joints) (heading 83.07).

(e) Insulated electrical conduit tubing (heading 85.47).

(f) Tubes, pipes and hollow profiles made up into specific identifiable articles, e.g., those prepared for use in structures (heading 73.08), tubular sections of central heating radiators (heading 73.22), exhaust manifolds for internal combustion piston engines (heading 84.09), other machinery parts (Section XVI), exhaust boxes (silencers) and exhaust pipes of vehicles of Chapter 87 (e.g.,
heading 87.08 or 87.14), saddle pillars and frames for cycles (heading 87.14).
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Subheading Explanatory Note.

Subheadings 7306.11, 7306.19, 7306.21 and 7306.29

The provisions of the Explanatory Note to subheadings 7304.11, 7304.19, 7304.22, 7304.23, 7304.24 and 7304.29 apply, mutatis mutandis, to these subheadings.


73.07 Tube or pipe fittings (for example, couplings, elbows, sleeves), of iron or steel.
This heading covers fittings of iron or steel, mainly used for connecting the bores of two tubes together, or for connecting a tube to some other apparatus, or for closing the tube aperture. This heading does not however cover articles used for installing pipes and tubes but which do not form an integral part of the bore (e.g., hangers, stays and similar supports which merely fix or support the tubes and pipes on walls, clamping or tightening bands or collars (hose clips) used for clamping flexible tubing or hose to rigid piping, taps, connecting pieces, etc.) (heading 73.25 or 73.26).

The connection is obtained:

- by screwing, when using cast iron or steel threaded fittings;

- or by welding, when using butt-welding or socket-welding steel fittings. In the case of butt-welding, the ends of the fittings and of the tubes are square cut or chamfered;
- or by contact, when using removable steel fittings.

This heading therefore includes flat flanges and flanges with forged collars, elbows and bends and return bends, reducers, tees, crosses, caps and plugs, lap joint stub-ends, fittings for tubular railings and structural elements, off sets, multi-branch pieces, couplings or sleeves, clean out traps, nipples, unions, clamps and collars.

The heading excludes:

(a) Clamps and other devices specially designed for assembling parts of structures (heading 73.08).

(b) Bolts, nuts, screws, etc., suitable for use in the assembly of tube or pipe fittings (heading 73.18).

(c) Thermostatic bellows and expansion joints (heading 83.07).

(d) Hangers, stays and the like, as described above; and tube plugs, threaded or not, fitted with a ring, hook, etc. (e.g., those used for fixing washing lines) (heading 73.26).

(e) Fittings equipped with taps, cocks, valves, etc. (heading 84.81).

(f) Insulated joints for electrical conduit tubing (heading 85.47).

(g) Connections for assembling bicycle or motorcycle frames (heading 87.14).

73.08 Structures (excluding prefabricated buildings of heading 94.06) and parts of structures (for example, bridges and bridge-sections, lock-gates, towers, lattice masts, roofs, roofing frame-works, doors and windows and their frames and thresholds for doors, shutters, balustrades, pillars and columns), of iron or steel; plates, rods, angles, shapes, sections, tubes and the like, prepared for use in structures, of iron or steel.
This heading covers complete or incomplete metal structures, as well as parts of structures. For the purpose of this heading, these structures are characterised by the fact that once they are put in position, they generally remain in that position. They are usually made up from bars, rods, tubes, angles, shapes, sections, sheets, plates, wide flats including so-called universal plates, hoop, strip, forgings or castings, by riveting, bolting, welding, etc. Such structures sometimes incorporate products of other headings such as panels of woven wire or expanded metal of heading 73.14. Parts of structures include clamps and other devices specially designed for assembling metal structural elements of round cross-section (tubular or other). These devices usually have protuberances with tapped holes in which screws are inserted, at the time of assembly, to fix the clamps to the tubing.

Apart from the structures and parts of structures mentioned in the heading, the heading also includes products such as:

Pit head frames and superstructures; adjustable or telescopic props, tubular props, extensible coffering beams, tubular scaffolding and similar equipment; sluice-gates, piers, jetties and marine moles; lighthouse superstructures; masts, gangways, rails, bulkheads, etc., for ships; balconies and verandahs; shutters, gates, sliding doors; assembled railings and fencing; level-crossing gates and similar barriers; frameworks for greenhouses and forcing frames; large-scale shelving for assembly and permanent installation in shops, workshops, storehouses, etc.; stalls and racks; certain protective barriers for motorways, made from sheet metal or from angles, shapes or sections.

The heading also covers parts such as flat-rolled products, “wide flats” including so-called universal plates, strip, rods, angles, shapes, sections and tubes, which have been prepared (e.g., drilled, bent or notched) for use in structures.

The heading further covers products consisting of separate rolled bars twisted together, which are also used for reinforced or pre-stressed concrete work.
The heading does not cover:

(a) Assembled sheet piling (heading 73.01).

(b) Coffering panels intended for pouring concrete, having the character of moulds (heading 84.80).

(c) Constructions clearly identifiable as machinery parts (Section XVI).

(d) Constructions of Section XVII such as railway and tramway track fixtures and fittings, and mechanical signalling equipment, of heading 86.08; chassis frames for railway rolling-stock, etc., or motor vehicles (Chapter 86 or 87), and the floating structures of Chapter 89.

(e) Movable shelved furniture (heading 94.03).

Subheading 7308.30.

This subheading also covers security doors of steel, for all types of dwellings.

73.09 Reservoirs, tanks, vats and similar containers for any material (other than compressed or liquefied gas), of iron or steel, of a capacity exceeding 300 l, whether or not lined or heat-insulated, but not fitted with mechanical or thermal equipment.

These containers are normally installed as fixtures for storage or manufacturing use, e.g., in factories, chemical works, dye works, gasworks, breweries, distilleries and refineries, and to a smaller extent in houses, shops, etc. This heading covers containers for any material other than compressed or liquefied gas. Containers for such gas are classified in heading 73.11, irrespective of their capacity. Containers fitted with mechanical or thermal equipment such as agitators, heating or cooling coils or electrical elements fall in Chapter 84 or 85.

On the other hand containers which have simply been fitted with taps, valves, level gauges, safety valves, manometers, etc., remain in this heading.

The containers may be open or closed, lined with ebonite, plastics or non-ferrous metals, or fitted with heat-insulating covering (e.g., asbestos, slag wool or glass wool), whether or not this lagging is protected by an outer sheet metal casing.

The heading also includes containers insulated by means of double walls or double bottoms subject to there being no provision for circulating heating or cooling fluids between the walls. (Containers with such provision are excluded, see heading 84.19.)
The heading includes:

Petrol or oil reservoirs; vats used in malt-houses for soaking barley; fermentation vats for liquids (wine, beer, etc.); decanting or clarifying vats for liquids of all kinds; vats for tempering and annealing metal goods; water storage tanks (domestic or otherwise) including expansion reservoirs for central heating equipment; containers for solids.

The heading also excludes containers specially designed and equipped for carriage by one or more modes of transport (heading 86.09).

73.10 Tanks, casks, drums, cans, boxes and similar containers, for any material (other than compressed or liquefied gas), of iron or steel, of a capacity not exceeding 300 l, whether or not lined or heat-insulated, but not fitted with mechanical or thermal equipment.
Whereas the preceding heading applies to containers of a capacity exceeding 300 l, normally installed as fixtures in factories, etc., this heading covers sheet or plate iron or steel containers of a capacity not exceeding 300 l, but of a size easily moved or handled, commonly used for the commercial conveyance and packing of goods, and such containers installed as fixtures.

The larger containers covered by this heading include tar or oil drums; petrol cans; milk churns; casks and drums for alcohol, latex, caustic soda, calcium carbide, dyestuffs or other chemicals. The smaller containers include boxes, cans, tins, etc., mainly used as sales packings for butter, milk, beer, preserves, fruit or fruit juices, biscuits, tea, confectionery, tobacco, cigarettes, shoe cream, medicaments, etc.

Casks and drums in particular may be hooped or otherwise fitted to facilitate rolling or handling, or be reinforced. All the containers may be equipped with tap-holes, bungs, lids or other closures to facilitate filling and emptying.

The heading also includes casks, etc., insulated by means of double walls or bottoms subject to there being no provision for circulating heating or cooling fluids between the walls. (Containers with such provisions are excluded, see heading 84.19.)
This heading also excludes:

(a) Articles of heading 42.02.

(b) Biscuit barrels, tea caddies, sugar tins and similar household or kitchen containers and canisters (heading 73.23).

(c) Cigarette cases, powder compacts, tool boxes and similar containers for personal or professional use (heading 73.25 or 73.26).

(d) Safes, cash or deed boxes, and the like (heading 83.03).

(e) Articles of heading 83.04.

(f) Ornamental boxes (heading 83.06).

(g) Containers specially designed and equipped for carriage by one or more modes of transport (heading 86.09).

(h) Vacuum flasks and other vacuum vessels complete with their cases, of heading 96.17.

73.11 Containers for compressed or liquefied gas, of iron or steel.

This heading covers containers of any capacity used for the transport or storage of compressed or liquefied gases (e.g., helium, oxygen, argon, hydrogen, acetylene, carbon dioxide or butane).

Some are strong cylinders, tubes, bottles, etc., tested at high pressure; these may be weldless or welded (e.g., at the bases, round the middle or along the length). Others consist of an inner vessel and one or more outer shells, the intervening space being packed with insulating material, maintained under vacuum or arranged to contain a cryogenic fluid, thus enabling certain liquefied gases to be kept at atmospheric pressure or low pressure.

These containers may be fitted with control, regulating and measuring devices such as valves, taps, pressure gauges, level indicators, etc.

Some (e.g., for acetylene) contain an inert porous substance such as kieselguhr, charcoal or asbestos, with a binder such as cement and sometimes impregnated with acetone, to facilitate filling and to prevent the risk of explosion if acetylene were compressed alone.

In others, such as those designed to supply liquid or gas as required, the liquefied gas is vapourised solely under the influence of the atmospheric temperature, by passing through a coil attached to the inner wall of the outer shell.

The heading excludes steam accumulators (heading 84.04).

73.12 Stranded wire, ropes, cables, plaited bands, slings and the like, of iron or steel, not electrically insulated.
The heading covers stranded wire (or wire strand) obtained by closely twisting together two or more single wires, and cables and ropes of all sizes which are in turn formed by twisting such strands together. Provided they remain essentially articles of iron or steel wire, ropes and cables may be laid on textile cores (hemp, jute, etc.) or covered with textiles, plastics, etc.

Ropes and cables are generally round in cross-section, but the heading also includes bands, usually of rectangular (including square) section, formed by plaiting single or stranded wires.

The heading includes such ropes, cables, bands, etc., whether or not they are cut to length, or fitted with hooks, spring hooks, swivels, rings, thimbles, clips, sockets, etc. (provided that they do not thereby assume the character of articles of other headings), or made up into single or multiple slings, strops, etc.

These goods are used for hoisting (with cranes, winches, pulleys, lifts, etc.) in mining, quarrying, shipping, etc.; for hauling or towing; as hawsers; as transmission belting; as rigging or guying for masts, pylons, etc.; as fencing strand; as stone sawing strand (usually three-ply stranded wire of special steel), etc.
The heading does not include:

(a) Barbed wire, and loosely twisted, non-barbed, double fencing wire (“torsades”) (heading 73.13).

(b) Insulated electric cable (heading 85.44).

(c) Brake cables, accelerator cables and similar cables suitable for use in vehicles of Chapter 87.

73.13 Barbed wire of iron or steel; twisted hoop or single flat wire, barbed or not, and loosely twisted double wire, of a kind used for fencing, of iron or steel.

This heading covers the following types of fencing or enclosure hoop and wire (wire as defined in Chapter Note 2):

(1) Barbed wire consisting of iron or steel wires twisted together rather loosely, with barbs or sometimes small sharp pieces of strip metal at frequent intervals.

(2) Narrow flat hoop or wire toothed at intervals and used as an alternative to barbed wire.

(3) Twisted hoop or single flat wire. This ribbon fencing wire is often used under the name of “torsades”. It consists of narrow hoop, strip or flat wire which may be lightly twisted. These goods fall in the heading whether or not they are barbed.

(4) Loosely twisted wire consisting of two wires of iron or steel and clearly suitable for fencing uses. This is also known as “torsades”.

The heading also includes “dannerts” and similar barbed wire entanglements, sometimes already mounted on wooden or metal poles, used for military purposes, for fencing, etc.

The hoop and wire used are generally galvanised or otherwise coated (e.g., covered with plastics).

The heading excludes closely twisted stranded wire or cable, also sometimes used for fencing (heading 73.12).

73.14 Cloth (including endless bands), grill, netting and fencing, of iron or steel wire; expanded metal of iron or steel.
(A) CLOTH (INCLUDING ENDLESS BANDS), GRILL, NETTING AND FENCING

The products of this group are, in the main, produced by interlacing, interweaving, netting, etc., iron or steel wire by hand or machine. The methods of manufacture broadly resemble those used in the textile industry (for simple warp and weft fabrics, knitted or crocheted fabrics, etc.).

The group includes wire grill in which the wires are welded at the points of contact or bound at those points by means of an additional wire, whether or not the wires are also interlaced.

The term “wire” means hot- or cold-formed products of any cross-sectional shape, of which no cross-sectional dimension exceeds 16 mm, such as rolled wire, wire rod and flat strip cut from sheet (see Note 2 to this Chapter).

The material of the heading may be used for many purposes e.g., for the washing, drying or filtering of many materials; to make fencing, food protecting covers and insect screening, safety guards for machinery, conveyor belting, shelving, mattresses, upholstery, sieves and riddles, etc.; and for reinforcing concrete, etc.

The material may be in rolls, in endless bands (e.g., for belting) or in sheets, whether or not cut to shape; it may be of two or more ply.

(B) EXPANDED METAL

Expanded metal is a network of diamond shaped meshes formed by stretching sheet or strip metal in which parallel incisions have been cut.

The material is fairly rigid and strong, and is used instead of wire grill or perforated sheets for fencing, safety guards for machines, flooring of foot-bridges or crane runways, reinforcement of various building materials (e.g., concrete, cement, plaster, glass), etc.
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Apart from articles made up of wire netting which are excluded generally from this heading, the following fall in other Chapters, viz.:

(a) Woven fabric of metal thread, of a kind used in articles of apparel, as furnishing fabric or the like (heading 58.09).

(b) Plastics or asbestos reinforced with wire mesh, wired glass (Chapters 39, 68 and 70, respectively); bricanion lath (a wire mesh incorporated in kilned clay and used for building purposes) (Chapter 69); paper roofing sheets usually tarred and reinforced with wire mesh (Chapter 48). However, woven wire, etc., lightly coated in plastics (even if the meshes are filled), and wire netting or grill with a backing of paper as used in cementing, plastering, etc., remain in this heading.

(c) Wire cloth, etc., made into the form of machinery parts, e.g., by assembly with other materials (Chapter 84 or 85).

(d) Wire cloth, etc., made up into hand sieves and riddles (heading 96.04).
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Subheading Explanatory Note.

Subheadings 7314.12, 7314.14 and 7314.19

The term “woven cloth” applies only to wire products manufactured in the same manner as textile woven fabrics, with two thread systems crossing at right angles.

Cloth is generally plain weave, although it may also be twill or other weave. The weft is a continuous strand which runs back and forth across the warp. Cloth is produced on continuous action looms. The points at which the strands intersect may be reinforced (for example, by binding with an extra strand). Wovens of this kind may consist of relatively widely-spaced strands, giving a square-mesh grill effect. The crimped varieties are made from crimped strands; the crimps interlock, making the points of intersection more rigid. Alternatively, the cloth may be woven from straight strands, then pressed; the resulting deformation at the points of intersection reinforces the weave.

Cloth may be put up in rolls or in sheets cut to length or cut to shape; the edges of the sheets may be welded or brazed.

73.15 Chain and parts thereof, of iron or steel.
This heading covers chains of cast iron (usually malleable cast iron), wrought iron or steel, regardless of their dimensions, process of manufacture or, in general, their intended use.

It includes articulated link chain (e.g., roller chain, inverted tooth (“ silent ”) chain and Galle chain), non-articulated link chain including stud-link chain (whether forged, cast, welded, stamped from sheet or strip metal or made from wire, etc.), and ball chain.

The heading includes:

(1) Transmission chains for cycles, automobiles or machinery.

(2) Anchor or mooring chains; lifting, haulage or towing chains; automobile skid chains.

(3) Mattress chains, chains for sink stoppers, lavatory cisterns, etc.

All these chains may be fitted with terminal parts or accessories (e.g., hooks, spring hooks, swivels, shackles, sockets, rings and split rings and tee pieces). They may or may not be cut to length, or obviously intended for particular uses.

Iron or steel parts of chains specialised as such e.g., side links, rollers, spindles, etc., for articulated chain, links and shackles for non-articulated chain, also fall in this heading.
The heading does not cover:

(a) Chains having the character of imitation jewellery in the sense of heading 71.17 (e.g., watch chains and trinket chains).

(b) Chains fitted with cutting teeth, etc., and used as chain saws or cutting tools (Chapter 82), or other articles in which chains play a subsidiary role such as bucket chains, conveyor hook chains or stretchers for textile finishing.

(c) Door guards fitted with chains (heading 83.02).

(d) Surveying chains (heading 90.15).

73.16 Anchors, grapnels and parts thereof, of iron or steel.

This heading refers only to the type of anchors used for mooring ships of all tonnages, offshore-platforms, buoys, beacons, floating mines, etc.; it does not include other articles sometimes called “anchors” (e.g., those used for joining masonry or for fixing rafters to the walls of buildings).

Anchors may be fitted with a cross piece or stock, sometimes of wood, and the arms of flukes may or may not be rigid.

The heading also covers grapnels; these are smaller than anchors and have more than two arms (usually four) but no stock. They are used for anchoring small craft, to seize hold of other craft, etc., to retrieve sunken objects and to obtain a grip on trees, rocks, etc.
The heading also covers parts of anchors or grapnels.

73.17 Nails, tacks, drawing pins, corrugated nails, staples (other than those of heading 83.05) and similar articles, of iron or steel, whether or not with heads of other material, but excluding such articles with heads of copper.

The heading covers:

(A) Nails, tacks, staples (other than those of heading 83.05) and similar articles, usually manufactured by the following methods:

There are many types of these goods including:

Wire nails of uniform cross-section as used by carpenters, etc.; moulders’ nails; glazing nails; cobblers’ nails; staples (insulated or not) pointed at both ends, for electric wiring, picture frames, fencing, etc. and other staples not presented in strips; pointed screw-nails with twisted shanks and unslotted heads; tacks and sprigs for cobblers, upholsterers, etc.; hobnails for heavy duty footwear; nails for pictures, mirrors, fencing, etc.; unthreaded nails for shoeing animals; unthreaded frost studs for animals; small triangles, etc. (usually of tin-plate) used for fixing window-panes; decorative studs for upholsterers; studs for marking railway sleepers.

(B) Other special types of nails, spikes, etc., such as:

All the above-mentioned goods remain in the heading whether or not they have heads of non-ferrous metal (other than copper or its alloys) or of other substances (porcelain, glass, wood, rubber, plastics, etc.), and whether or not they have been plated, copper-plated, gilded, silvered, varnished, etc., or covered with other material.
The heading does not include:

(a) Screw hooks, screw rings, pointed drive screws with slotted heads and unpointed drive screws (heading 73.18).

(b) Shoe-protectors, with or without affixing points; picture hooks with fixing nails; belt fasteners (heading 73.26).

(c) Nails, tacks, etc., with heads of copper or copper alloys (heading 74.15).

(d) Staples in strips (e.g., for offices, upholstery, packaging) (heading 83.05).

(e) Piano pegs (heading 92.09).

73.18 Screws, bolts, nuts, coach screws, screw hooks, rivets, cotters, cotter-pins, washers (including spring washers) and similar articles, of iron or steel.
(A) SCREWS, BOLTS AND NUTS

Bolts and nuts (including bolt ends), screw studs and other screws for metal, whether or not threaded or tapped, screws for wood and coach-screws are threaded (in the finished state) and are used to assemble or fasten goods so that they can readily be disassembled without damage.

Bolts and screws for metal are cylindrical in shape, with a close and only slightly inclined thread; they are rarely pointed, and may have slotted heads or heads adapted for tightening with a spanner or they may be recessed. A bolt is designed to engage in a nut, whereas screws for metal are more usually screwed into a hole tapped in the material to be fastened and are therefore generally threaded throughout their length whereas bolts usually have a part of the shank unthreaded.

The heading includes all types of fastening bolts and metal screws regardless of shape and use, including U-bolts, bolt ends (i.e., cylindrical rods threaded at one end), screw studs (i.e., short rods threaded at both ends), and screw studding (i.e., rods threaded throughout).

Nuts are metal pieces designed to hold the corresponding bolts in place. They are usually tapped throughout but are sometimes blind. The heading includes wing nuts, butterfly nuts, etc. Lock nuts (usually thinner and castellated) are sometimes used with bolts.

Blanks for bolts and untapped nuts are also included in the heading.

Screws for wood differ from bolts and screws for metal in that they are tapered and pointed, and they have a steeper cutting thread since they have to bite their own way into the material. Further, wood screws almost always have slotted or recessed heads and they are never used with nuts.

Coach screws (screw spikes) are large wood screws with square or hexagonal unslotted heads. They are used to fix railway lines to the sleepers and to assemble rafters and similar heavy woodwork.

The heading includes self-tapping (Parker) screws; these resemble wood screws in that they have a slotted head and a cutting thread and are pointed or tapered at the end. They can therefore cut their own passage into thin sheets of metal, marble, slate, plastics, etc.

The heading also covers all unpointed drive screws (or screw nails), and also those which are pointed provided that their heads are slotted. Drive screws have very steep threads and are often driven into the material with a hammer, but often can be withdrawn only by use of a screwdriver.

This group excludes:

(a) Pointed screw-nails with unslotted heads (heading 73.17).

(b) Screw stoppers (heading 83.09).

(c) Threaded mechanisms, sometimes called screws, used to transmit motion, or otherwise to act as an active part of a machine, (e.g., Archimedian screws; worm mechanisms and threaded shafts for presses; valve and cock closing mechanisms, etc.) (Chapter 84).

(d) Piano pegs and similar threaded parts of musical instruments (heading 92.09).

(B) SCREW HOOKS AND SCREW RINGS

These are used to suspend or fix other objects and differ from the hook-nails of the preceding heading only in that they are threaded.
(C) RIVETS

Rivets differ from the goods described above in that they are non-threaded; they are usually cylindrical with round, flat, pan shaped or countersunk heads.

They are used for the permanent assembly of metal parts (e.g., in large frameworks, ships and containers).

The heading excludes tubular or bifurcated rivets for all purposes (heading 83.08) but rivets which are only partly hollow remain classified in this heading.

(D) COTTER-PINS AND COTTERS

Cotter-pins, usually of bifurcated form, are used for fitting in holes in spindles, shafts, bolts, etc., to prevent objects mounted thereon from moving along them.

Cotters and taper pins are used for similar purposes but are usually larger and more solid, they may be designed, like cotter-pins, to pass through holes (in which case they are often wedge-shaped), or for fitting into grooves or slots cut round the shaft, spindle, etc., in which case they may be of various shapes such as horseshoe or conical.

Circlipsare produced in different forms ranging from a simple ring with a gap to more complex shapes (with eyelets or notches to facilitate application by means of special pliers). They are always intended, whatever their shape, to be placed in a groove, either around a shaft or inside a cylindrical bore, to prevent the relative movement of parts.

(E) WASHERS

Washers are usually small, thin discs with a hole in the centre; they are placed between the nut and one of the parts to be fixed to protect the latter. They may be plain, cut, split (e.g., Grower’s spring washers), curved, cone shaped, etc.
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Subheading Explanatory Notes.

Subheading 7318.12

The term “screw” does not cover screw hooks and screw rings; these are classified in subheading 7318.13.

Subheading 7318.14

This subheading covers the Parker (self-tapping) screws described in Explanatory Note to heading 73.18, Part (A), eighth paragraph.

73.19 Sewing needles, knitting needles, bodkins, crochet hooks, embroidery stilettos and similar articles, for use in the hand, of iron or steel; safety pins and other pins of iron or steel, not elsewhere specified or included.
(A) SEWING NEEDLES, KNITTING NEEDLES, BODKINS,
CROCHET HOOKS, EMBROIDERY STILETTOS AND
SIMILAR ARTICLES

This heading covers needles used by hand for sewing, knitting, embroidering, crochet work, carpet-making, etc.

It includes:

(1) Sewing needles, darning needles, embroidery needles, packing needles, mattress needles, sail-making needles, book-binding needles, upholstery needles, carpet-making and rug-making needles, cobblers’ needles (including awls with an eye), needles with triangular ends for leatherwork, etc.

(2) Knitting needles (long needles without eyes).

(3) Bodkins of all kinds (including football lacers) for threading laces, string, ribbon, etc.

(4) Crochet hooks (needles tapered to a hook at one end and used for crochet-work).

(5) Embroidery stilettos, used to perforate the fabric in embroidery work.

(6) Netting needles, pointed at one or both ends.

Certain of these articles are sometimes fitted with handles.

The heading also includes blanks, e.g., unfinished shanks (whether or not with eyes); needles with eyes but not sharpened or polished; embroidery stiletto and bodkin blades not yet fitted with a handle.

The heading does not cover:

(a) Shoemakers’ awls without eyes, and stiletto-type leather-working, office, etc., pricking or piercing tools (heading 82.05).

(b) Machine needles for knitting, lace-making, embroidery, etc. (heading 84.48); sewing machine needles (heading 84.52).

(c) Pick-up cartridge needles (heading 85.22).

(d) Needles for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary use (heading 90.18).
(B) SAFETY PINS AND OTHER PINS NOT ELSEWHERE
SPECIFIED OR INCLUDED

The pins of this group may have heads or other accessory parts of other base metals, glass, plastics, etc., provided that they do not become articles of an ornamental character and that they remain essentially iron or steel pins. The group includes :

(1) Safety pins.

(2) Ordinary pins.

The group also includes pointed shanks for brooches, badges (whether or not with swivel joints or connections), hatpins, etc.; pins and pointed shanks for fixing labels, mounting insects, etc.
The heading does not cover:

(a) Tie-pins, badges, etc., hat-pins and similar articles of personal adornment (heading 71.17).

(b) Drawing pins (heading 73.17).

(c) Hair-slides; hair-pins; curling pins, curling grips, hair-curlers and the like (heading 85.16 or 96.15).

73.20 Springs and leaves for springs, of iron or steel.
The heading covers iron or steel springs of all types, irrespective of their use, other than clock or watch springs of heading 91.14.

Springs are made from sheet metal, wire or rod of an elastic quality, in such a way that they have the property of returning to their original form even after considerable displacement.
The heading includes the following types of springs:

(A) Leaf-springs (single or laminated) chiefly used in the suspension systems of vehicles (e.g., railway locomotives and rolling stock, automobiles and carts).

(B) Helical springs of which the two major groups are:

(C) Flat springs and flat spiral springs as used in spring operated motors, in locks, etc.

(D) Discs springs and ring springs (as used in railway buffers, etc.).

Springs may be equipped with U-bolts (e.g., for leaf-springs) or other fittings for assembly or attachment.

Leaves for springs are also classified in this heading.

The heading excludes:

(a) Springs for shafts or sticks of umbrellas or sunshades (heading 66.03).

(b) Spring washers (heading 73.18).

(c) Springs assembled with other articles to form, for example, automatic door closers (heading 83.02), identifiable parts of machinery (Section XVI) or of the apparatus and instruments of
Chapters 90, 91, etc.

(d) Shock absorbers, and torsion bars of Section XVII.

73.21 Stoves, ranges, grates, cookers (including those with subsidiary boilers for central heating), barbecues, braziers, gas-rings, plate warmers and similar non-electric domestic appliances, and parts thereof, of iron or steel.
This heading covers a group of appliances which meet all of the following requirements:

(i) be designed for the production and utilisation of heat for space heating, cooking or boiling purposes;

(ii) use solid, liquid or gaseous fuel, or other source of energy (e.g., solar energy);

(iii) be normally used in the household or for camping.

These appliances are identifiable, according to type, by one or more characteristic features such as overall dimensions, design, maximum heating capacity, furnace or grate capacity in the case of solid fuel, size of tank where liquid fuel is used. The yardstick for judging these characteristics is that the appliances in question must not operate at a level in excess of household requirements.
This heading includes:

(1) Stoves, heaters, grates and fires of the type used for space heating, braziers, etc.

(2) Gas and oil radiators incorporating heating elements, for the same use.

(3) Kitchen ranges, stoves and cookers.

(4) Ovens incorporating heating elements (e.g., for roasting, pastry and bread-making).

(5) Spirit or pressure stoves, camping stoves, travelling stoves, etc.; gas-rings; plate warmers incorporating provision for heating elements.

(6) Wash boilers with grates or other heating elements.

The heading also covers stoves incorporating subsidiary boilers for central heating. On the other hand the heading excludes appliances also using electricity for heating purposes, as in the case of combined gas-electric cookers for example (heading 85.16).

All these articles may be enamelled, nickel-plated, copper-plated, etc., fitted with accessories of other base metals, or lined with heat-resisting materials.

The heading also covers clearly identifiable iron or steel parts of the above-mentioned appliances (e.g., internal oven shelves, cooking-plates and rings, ash-pans, removable fire-boxes and fire-baskets, gas burners, oil burners, doors, grills, feet, guard rails, towel rails and plate racks).

The heading also excludes:

(a) Central heating radiators, air heaters or hot air distributors, and parts thereof, of heading 73.22.

(b) Ovens and boilers not adapted for fitting with heating elements (heading 73.23).

(c) Blow lamps and portable forges (heading 82.05).

(d) Furnace burners (heading 84.16).

(e) Industrial or laboratory furnaces and ovens of heading 84.17.

(f) Heating, cooking, roasting, distilling, etc., machinery or plant, and similar laboratory equipment of heading 84.19. That heading covers, inter alia:

(i) Non-electrical instantaneous or storage water-heaters (whether for domestic or non-domestic use).

(ii) Certain specialised heating, cooking, etc., apparatus which are not normally used in the household (for example, counter-type coffee percolators; deep fat friers; sterilisers, warming cupboards, drying cabinets and other steam or indirectly heated apparatus, often incorporating heating coils, double walls, double bottoms, etc.).

(g) Electro-thermic apparatus of heading 85.16.

73.22 Radiators for central heating, not electrically heated, and parts thereof, of iron or steel; air heaters and hot air distributors (including distributors which can also distribute fresh or conditioned air), not electrically heated, incorporating a motor-driven fan or blower, and parts thereof, of iron or steel.
This heading includes:

(1) Radiators for central heating, i.e., space heating appliances consisting usually of an assembly of “sections” of flanged or gilled tubes or of hollow panels through which the water or steam from the boiler is circulated. Such radiators may be enclosed in casings of wood or metal. This group also includes apparatus consisting of a combination of a radiator through which hot or cold water is circulated and of ejector nozzles through which conditioned air under pressure is passed. The two components are mounted in a common housing fitted with a grille. When the radiator unit is turned off, this apparatus serves as a distributor of conditioned air.

The heading does not cover air conditioning units (heading 84.15) or electric radiators (heading 85.16).

(2) Identifiable “sections” and other parts of radiators.

The following are not regarded as parts: (a) Pipes and fittings to connect up central heating boilers and radiators (headings 73.03 to 73.07). (b) Radiator stands (heading 73.25 or 73.26). (c) Steam or hot water taps, cocks, etc. (heading 84.81).

(3) Air heaters, using any type of fuel (e.g., coal, fuel oil, gas). These self-contained heaters, fixed or mobile, consist mainly of a combustion chamber (with burner) or a grate, a heat exchanger (tube assembly, etc.) which transfers the heat given off by the combustion gases passing through it to the air travelling along its outer surface, and a motor-driven fan or blower. Generally these heaters are furnished with an exhaust flue for burnt gases. Air heaters (fixed or mobile), which generate hot air for direct diffusion, differ from radiators incorporating their own heating elements (as described in the Explanatory Note to heading 73.21) by the fact that they incorporate a blowing device (fan or blower) which serves to distribute or direct the supply of hot air to the various areas which are to be heated. Air heaters may be equipped with various ancillary devices such as burners (with their pump), electric fans to supply air to the burners, regulating or control instruments (thermostats, pyrostats, etc.), air filters, etc. (4) Hot air distributors which consist of an air heating element usually comprising an assembly of flanged or gilled tubes and an electric fan, mounted in a common housing provided with air outlets (grille or adjustable shutters). These distributors are designed for connection to a central heating boiler and may be designed to stand on the ground, to be fixed to a wall or to be hung from the ceiling, from beams, pillars, etc. Some of these appliances may also be provided with an outside-air intake enabling them to be used as fresh air distributors when their heating element is turned off.
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Air heaters and hot air distributors are included in this heading wherever they are intended to be used. The heading therefore covers air heaters for space heating and for drying various materials (fodder, grain, etc.), and apparatus for heating vehicles of Section XVII. However, hot air distributors which use the heat produced by the engine of the vehicle and must necessarily be connected to the engine, fall to be classified in Section XVII by application of Note 1 (g) to Section XV and Note 3 to Section XVII. (5) Identifiable parts of air heaters or hot air distributors (heat exchangers, nozzles, direct diffusion conduits, dampers, grilles, etc.).

The following are, however, not regarded as parts:

(a) Pipes and fittings to connect up boilers with certain hot air distributors (headings 73.03 to 73.07).

(b) Fans (heading 84.14), air filters (heading 84.21), checking and automatically controlling appliances (Chapter 90), etc.

73.23 Table, kitchen or other household articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; iron or steel wool; pot scourers and scouring or polishing pads, gloves and the like, of iron or steel.
(A) TABLE, KITCHEN OR OTHER HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES
AND PARTS THEREOF

This group comprises a wide range of iron or steel articles, not more specifically covered by other headings of the Nomenclature, used for table, kitchen or other household purposes; it includes the same goods for use in hotels, restaurants, boarding-houses, hospitals, canteens, barracks, etc.

These articles may be cast, or of iron or steel sheet, plate, hoop, strip, wire, wire grill, wire cloth, etc., and may be manufactured by any process (moulding, forging, punching, stamping, etc.). They may be fitted with lids, handles or other parts or accessories of other materials provided that they retain the character of iron or steel articles.

The group includes:

(1) Articles for kitchen use such as saucepans, steamers, pressure cookers, preserving pans, stew pans, casseroles, fish kettles; basins; frying pans, roasting or baking dishes and plates; grid-irons, ovens not designed to incorporate heating elements; kettles; colanders; frying baskets; jelly or pastry moulds; water jugs; domestic milk cans; kitchen storage tins and canisters (bread bins, tea caddies, sugar tins, etc.); salad washers; kitchen type capacity measures; plate racks, funnels.

(2) Articles for table use such as trays, dishes, plates, soup or vegetable dishes, sauce tureens; sugar basins, butter dishes; milk or cream jugs; hors-d’oeuvres dishes; coffee pots and percolators (but not including domestic percolators provided with a heat source (heading 73.21)), tea pots; cups, mugs, tumblers; egg-cups, finger bowls; bread or fruit dishes and baskets; tea pot or similar stands; tea-strainers, cruets; knife-rests; wine cooling buckets, etc., wine pouring cradles; serviette rings, table cloth clips.

(3) Other household articles such as wash coppers and boilers; dustbins, buckets, coal scuttles and hods; watering-cans; ash-trays; hot water bottles; bottle baskets; movable boot-scrapers; stands for flat irons; baskets for laundry, fruit, vegetables, etc.; letter-boxes; clothes-hangers, shoe trees; luncheon boxes.

The group also includes iron or steel parts of the articles listed above, such as lids, grips, handles, separating compartments for pressure cookers, etc.
(B) IRON OR STEEL WOOL; POT SCOURERS AND SCOURING
OR POLISHING PADS, GLOVES AND THE LIKE
Iron or steel wool consists of very fine wire or strip matted together and usually put up in packets ready for retail sale.

Pot scourers, scouring or polishing pads, gloves and the like are made up from wire, strip, steel wool, etc., sometimes fitted with a handle; provided that they are essentially metal articles, these goods remain in the heading whether or not they are interwoven with textile materials.

Except for iron or steel wool which has a variety of uses, these goods are mainly used in the household (e.g., for scouring kitchen utensils or sanitary appliances, for polishing metal articles, for the care of floor-boards, parquet flooring, other wood floor coverings and other wood articles).
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The heading excludes:

(a) Cans, boxes and similar containers, of heading 73.10.

(b) The stoves, grates, kitchen ranges, cookers, fires, etc., covered by heading 73.21.

(c) Waste paper baskets (heading 73.25 or 73.26 as the case may be).

(d) Household articles having the character of tools, e.g., shovels of all kinds; cork-screws; cheese graters, etc.; larding needles; can openers; nut-crackers; bottle openers; curling irons, pressing irons; fire-tongs; egg whisks; waffling irons; coffee-mills, pepper-mills; mincers; juice extractors, vegetable pressers, vegetable mashers (Chapter 82).

(e) Cutlery and spoons, forks, ladles, etc., of headings 82.11 to 82.15.

(f) Safes, strong boxes, cash and deed boxes (heading 83.03).

(g) Ornaments (heading 83.06).

(h) Household scales (heading 84.23).

(ij) Household electrical equipment of Chapter 85 (in particular the appliances and apparatus of headings 85.09 and 85.16).

(k) Small hanging meat safes and other furniture of Chapter 94.

(l) Lamps and lighting fittings of heading 94.05.

(m) Hand sieves (heading 96.04), cigarette lighters and other lighters (heading 96.13), vacuum flasks and other vacuum vessels of heading 96.17.

73.24 Sanitary ware and parts thereof, of iron or steel.

This heading comprises a wide range of iron or steel articles, not more specifically covered by other headings of the Nomenclature, used for sanitary purposes.

These articles may be cast, or of iron or steel sheet, plate, hoop, strip, wire, wire grill, wire cloth, etc., and may be manufactured by any process (moulding, forging, punching, stamping, etc.). They may be fitted with lids, handles or other parts or accessories of other materials provided that they retain the character of iron or steel articles.

The heading includes, baths, bidets, hip-baths, foot-baths, sinks, wash basins, toilet sets; soap dishes and sponge baskets; douche cans, sanitary pails, urinals, bedpans, chamber-pots, water closet pans and flushing cisterns whether or not equipped with their mechanisms, spittoons, toilet paper holders.

The heading excludes:

(a) Cans, boxes and similar containers of heading 73.10.

(b) Small hanging medicine and toilet wall cabinets and other furniture of Chapter 94.

73.25 Other cast articles of iron or steel.
This heading covers all cast articles of iron or steel, not elsewhere specified or included.

The heading includes, inspection traps, gratings, drain covers and similar castings for sewage, water, etc. systems; hydrant pillars and covers; drinking fountains; pillar-boxes, fire alarm pillars, bollards, etc.; gutters and gutter spouts; mine tubbing; balls for use in grinding and crushing mills; metallurgical pots and crucibles not fitted with mechanical or thermal equipment; counterweights; imitation flowers, foliage, etc. (except articles of heading 83.06); mercury bottles.

This heading does not cover castings which are products falling in other headings of the Nomenclature (e.g., recognisable parts of machinery or mechanical appliances) or unfinished castings which require further working but have the essential character of such finished products.

The heading also excludes:

(a) Articles of a kind described above obtained by processes other than casting (e.g., sintering) (heading 73.26).

(b) Statues, vases, urns and crosses of the type used for decoration (heading 83.06).

73.26 Other articles of iron or steel.
This heading covers all iron or steel articles obtained by forging or punching, by cutting or stamping or by other processes such as folding, assembling, welding, turning, milling or perforating other than articles included in the preceding headings of this Chapter or covered by Note 1 to Section XV or included in Chapter 82 or 83 or more specifically covered elsewhere in the Nomenclature.

The heading includes:

(1) Horseshoes; boot or shoe protectors whether or not incorporating affixing points; tree climbing irons; non-mechanical ventilators; Venetian blinds; binding hoops for casks; iron or steel fittings for electric wiring (e.g., stays, clips, brackets); suspension or connecting devices for insulator chains (suspension rods, shackles, extensions, eyes or rings with stud connections, ball sockets, suspension clamps, dead-end clamps, etc.); non-calibrated steel balls (see Note 6 to Chapter 84); fencing posts, tent pegs, stakes for tethering livestock, etc.; hoops for garden borders, trainers for trees, sweet peas, etc.; turnbuckles for bracing fencing wires; tiles (except those for use in construction, which fall in heading 73.08) and gutters; clamping or tightening bands or collars (hose clips) used for clamping flexible tubing or hose to rigid piping, taps, etc.; hangers, stays and similar supports for fixing piping and tubing (except clamps and other devices specially designed for assembling tubular elements for metal structures, which fall in heading 73.08); capacity measures (other than domestic types - heading 73.23); thimbles; road studs; forged hooks, e.g., for cranes; snap hooks for all purposes; ladders and steps; trestles; supports or chaplets (other than moulders’ nails, see heading 73.17) for foundry moulding cores; imitation flowers or foliage of wrought iron or steel (but not including articles of heading 83.06 and imitation jewellery of heading 71.17).

(2) Articles of wire, such as snares, traps, mouse-traps, eelpots and the like; wire ties for fodder, etc.; tyre tringles; duplex or twin wire for making textile loom healds and formed by soldering together two single wires; nose-rings for animals; mattress hooks, butchers’ hooks, tile hangers, etc.; waste paper baskets.

(3) Certain boxes and cases, e.g., tool boxes or cases, not specially shaped or internally fitted to contain particular tools with or without their accessories (see the Explanatory Note to heading 42.02); botanists’, etc., collection or specimen cases, trinket boxes; cosmetic or powder boxes and cases; cigarette cases, tobacco boxes, cachou boxes, etc., but not including containers of heading 73.10, household containers (heading 73.23), nor ornaments (heading 83.06).

The heading also covers vacuum cup holders (suction grips) consisting of a base, a handle and a vacuum lever, and rubber discs, intended to be attached temporarily to an object (glass in particular) with a view to enabling the object to be moved.

This heading does not cover forgings which are products falling in other headings of the Nomenclature (e.g., recognisable parts of machinery or mechanical appliances) or unfinished forgings which require further working but have the essential character of such finished products.

The heading also excludes:

(a) Articles of heading 42.02.

(b) Reservoirs, tanks, vats and similar containers, of heading 73.09 or 73.10.

(c) Cast articles of iron or steel (heading 73.25).

(d) Office desk equipment, such as book ends, ink-stands, pen trays, blotters, paperweights and office-stamp stands (heading 83.04).

(e) Statues, vases, urns and crosses of the type used for decoration (heading 83.06).

(f) Large scale shelving for permanent installation in shops, workshops, storehouses, etc. (heading 73.08) and shelved furniture of heading 94.03.

(g) Skeleton wire frames for making textile or paper lampshades (heading 94.05).
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Subheading Explanatory Note.

Subheadings 7326.11 and 7326.19

After forging or stamping, the products of these subheadings may have been subjected to the following working or surface treatments:

Removal of burrs, runouts and other stamping defects by rough burring, grinding, hammering, chiselling or filling; removal of annealing by acid dipping; simple sand-blasting; roughing or rough bleaching and other operations intended exclusively to detect flaws in the metal; application of rough coatings of graphite, oil, tar, red lead or similar products, clearly intended to protect the subjects against rust or other types of oxidation; stamping, punching, printing, etc., with simple inscriptions, such as trademarks.

ULTIMO CAMBIO D.O.F.