Assemble the facts for a tariff classification ruling on goods not yet entered
Key facts
- Human involvement
- YellowClose supervision
- How AI is used
- Build a fact list for a ruling letter: names and addresses of interested parties if known, the port or place of arrival or entry, a full description of the article, chief use and designation where germane, composition by weight, volume and value where the article has two or more materials, whether a sample or laboratory analysis exists, and whether the same transaction or the issues are or have been before a Customs office, the Court of International Trade, the Federal Circuit, or a court of appeal. Mark any fact the file does not contain.
- What the lawyer must review
- 19 C.F.R. 177.2 says a ruling request should be a letter. Tariff classification requests go to the Director, National Commodity Specialist Division, Regulations and Rulings, Office of International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 201 Varick Street, Suite 501, New York, New York 10014, unless the requester sends the request to the Director, Commercial and Trade Facilitation Division in Washington, DC 20229. Rulings by the National Commodity Specialist Division or a service port office are limited to prospective transactions. The entry itself is still made under 19 U.S.C. 1484.
- Written for / version
- United States versionUS
Who does what
| Role | What they do |
|---|---|
| Assistance | Consider narrowly defined preparation support after confirming the tool’s capability and permitted scope. |
| Lawyer | Set the scope, supervise the work closely, verify every part relied on, resolve omissions and exceptions, and approve the exact output. |
Checklist
- Check the specialist’s assumptions, qualifications and limits. Obtain the relevant expert or specialist review before relying on a technical conclusion.
- Verify the applicable jurisdiction and the version of each relevant law, rule or instrument in force at the material time.
- Confirm the output against the client’s instructions and the complete relevant source material, including omissions or contradictions.
- Resolve exceptions and record the responsible lawyer’s approval of the exact output and intended use.