Chapter 71 classification follows chapter notes: palladium is deemed platinum, so silver-palladium wire is treated as an alloy of platinum.
Chapter 71 classification turns on the chapter notes, not merely on the predominant metal by weight. Note 3(b) deems palladium to be platinum for the chapter, and Note 4 treats an alloy containing 2% or more by weight of platinum as an alloy of platinum. On that basis, silver palladium wire containing 30% palladium fell within the deemed platinum threshold and was classifiable as an alloy of platinum under sub-heading 7101.90. The fact that silver predominated did not displace the chapter-note deeming rule, and the residuary clause for other alloys could not apply where the specific deeming provision governed.
Issues: Whether silver palladium wire containing 70% silver and 30% palladium was classifiable under sub-heading 7101.60 as silver wire or under sub-heading 7101.90 as an alloy of platinum.
Analysis: Note 3(b) to Chapter 71 treats palladium as platinum for the purpose of that chapter. Note 4 then provides that an alloy containing 2% or more by weight of platinum is to be treated as an alloy of platinum, while clause (c) applies only to other alloys not covered by clauses (a) and (b). Since the product contained 30% palladium, it satisfied the platinum threshold through the chapter note deeming provision. The fact that silver predominated by weight did not take the product outside clause (a), and clause (c) could not be invoked because it is residuary in nature. The classification therefore followed the chapter notes rather than the mere predominance of silver.
Conclusion: The product was correctly classifiable under sub-heading 7101.90 as an alloy of platinum, and the appeal failed.
Ratio Decidendi: For classification under Chapter 71, a chapter note deeming palladium to be platinum prevails, and an alloy containing 2% or more of such deemed platinum is classifiable as an alloy of platinum; the predominance of silver by weight does not control where the chapter notes apply.
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