CBP Finds Country of Origin of Billiards Tables Assembled On-Site is U.S. for Government Procurement

Billiards tables assembled on-site in the U.S. from imported and U.S. components are U.S.-origin for government procurement purposes, said CBP in a final determination published Oct. 21 (here). Though most of the value of the tables comes from imported components, the assembly operation, which includes leveling and sanding of the slate table surface and stretching of the table’s felt covering, is “complex and meaningful,” requiring “the assembly of a large number of components,” and rendering “a new and distinct article of commerce that possesses a new name, character, and use,” said CBP. “Therefore, we find that the imported components lose their individual identities and become an integral part of the billiards tables as a result of the U.S. assembly operations and combination with U.S. components; and that the components acquire a different name, character, and use as a result of the assembly operations performed in the U.S.,” it said.