Notice of a Decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Reversing the Decision of the Court of International Trade To Sustain a Domestic Party Petition Concerning the Classification of Textile Costumes

概要

On August 1, 2003, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued its decision in the matter of Rubie's Costume Company v. United States, Appeal No. 02-1373, reversing the Court of International Trade (CIT) in Rubie's Costume Company v. United States, 196 F. Supp 2d 1320 (Ct. Int'l Trade 2002). The CIT had ruled that the textile costumes before it were "fancy dress" of textile and therefore classifiable as wearing apparel of chapter 61, HTSUS. In reversing the CIT, the CAFC upheld the earlier classification determination of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which classified textile costumes of a flimsy nature and construction, lacking in durability, and generally recognized as not being normal articles of apparel, as "festive articles" of chapter 95, HTSUS. This document provides notice of the CAFC decision and informs the public that imported textile costumes, which CBP determines to be of a flimsy nature and construction, lacking in durability and generally recognized as not being normal articles of wearing apparel, are to be classified and assessed duty in accordance with the CAFC decision as "festive articles" of chapter 95, HTSUS.