Stainless steel hoop earrings, gold ion-plated, hypoallergenic, 30 millimeter, on display cards
Country of origin for this scenario: China.
Recommended HTS code
7117.19.90.00
Other
HIGH confidence. Stainless steel is a base metal; gold ion-plating is a decorative surface finish that CBP treats as plating rather than precious-metal cladding, keeping the article within heading 7117 as imitation jewelry. Multiple on-point rulings (N286712, N214377, 872657) classify gold-plated or yellow-gold-plated stainless steel personal-adornment articles under 7117.19.9000. The value threshold determination (7117.19.10.00 vs. 7117.19.90.00) turns on value per dozen: at $1.10/piece the declared unit value equals $13.20/dozen, well above the $1.50/dozen breakpoint referenced in the candidate analysis — however the verified HTS rows for 7117.19 show no $1.50/dozen breakpoint; the 'other' basket subheadings at the 10-digit level are simply 7117.19.90.00 for non-chain, non-religious, non-toy base-metal imitation jewelry other than the chain-by-meter provisions. The earrings are not chain sold by the meter, not toy jewelry, not religious articles, and not cuff links/studs, so 7117.19.90.00 is the correct residual subheading. An additional 9903 Chapter 99 overlay for China-origin goods should be verified at entry.
Classification analysis generated on July 30, 2026 from the current Harmonized Tariff Schedule and published CBP rulings, for the product description shown — our analysis, not legal advice.
How the classification was reached
GRI Reasoning
GRI 1 — Heading Selection
The product is a stainless steel hoop earring with a gold ion-plate finish, worn on the body for personal adornment. Chapter 71, Note 9(a) defines 'articles of jewelry' as small articles of personal adornment including earrings. Chapter 71, Note 11 defines 'imitation jewelry' (heading 7117) as such articles *not* incorporating natural/cultured pearls, precious/semiprecious stones, nor (except as plating or minor constituents) precious metal or metal clad with precious metal.
Heading 7113 (articles of jewelry of precious metal or metal clad with precious metal) requires that the base metal be *clad* with precious metal. Ion-plating deposits an extremely thin layer of gold — CBP rulings consistently treat gold plating on stainless steel as a decorative finish falling within the 'except as plating' carve-out of Note 11, not as 'metal clad with precious metal.' Ruling N286712 (yellow gold plated stainless steel charms → 7117.19.9000) and ruling N214377 (medical stainless steel earrings → 7117.19.9000) confirm this approach. Heading 7113 is therefore excluded.
Heading 7117 covers imitation jewelry. The earrings are stainless steel (a base metal), gold ion-plated (plating = permitted minor constituent under Note 11), contain no gemstones, and are articles of personal adornment. They fall squarely within heading 7117.
GRI 1 — Subheading Selection within 7117
- 7117.11 — cuff links and studs only. Not applicable.
- 7117.19 — other base-metal imitation jewelry.
- Chain-by-meter provisions (7117.19.05/15/20): not applicable — earrings are not rope/curb/cable/chain sold in continuous lengths.
- Religious articles (7117.19.30): not applicable.
- Toy jewelry ≤8 cents/piece (7117.19.60): not applicable — unit value is $1.10.
- 7117.19.90.00 — 'Other': residual basket. Applies.
At $1.10/piece the earrings are clearly not toy jewelry and not chain. The 10-digit statistical suffix 7117.19.90.00 is the correct residual code supported by the verified HTS rows.
Duty Rate
- General (Column 1): 11% ad valorem per HTS row 7117.19.90.00.
- Column 2 (China does not receive Column 1 special rates for this heading): 110% — however China is a Column 1 (general) country; the 110% is Column 2 (non-MFN). China receives the 11% general rate as baseline.
- 9903 Chapter 99 overlay: China-origin goods are subject to Section 301 additional tariffs. The applicable 9903 heading should be identified and verified at time of entry; this dossier cannot confirm the exact 9903 code or its current rate from the supplied evidence.
Value Threshold Check
25,000 units × $1.10 = $27,500 annual import value. Per-dozen value = $13.20. This is above any minor-value toy-jewelry threshold and confirms the 'Other' basket subheading.
Display Cards
The earrings are presented on display cards. Under GRI 5(b), packaging material/containers are classified with the goods when of a kind normally used for that article and not suitable for repetitive use. Display cards are normal retail packaging and do not change the classification of the earrings.
Cited CBP rulings
Every ruling below was fetched from CBP’s public CROSS database and verified to exist before this page was published. Links go to the official ruling text.
What it classified: Yellow gold plated stainless steel alphabet letter charms (personal adornment articles) from the United Kingdom.
Why it’s analogous: Directly on point: stainless steel base metal with yellow gold plating classified as imitation jewelry under 7117.19.9000 at 11% ad valorem. Confirms that gold plating on stainless steel is treated as decorative plating (permitted under Note 11) rather than precious-metal cladding, keeping the article in heading 7117 rather than 7113.
What it classified: Medical stainless steel earring posts (piercing cassette earrings) from China.
Why it’s analogous: CBP applied Chapter 71 Notes 9(a) and 11 to classify stainless steel earrings as imitation jewelry of base metal under 7117.19.9000. Confirms that stainless steel earrings intended for personal adornment are base-metal imitation jewelry and not articles of precious-metal jewelry under 7113.
What it classified: Pewter pendants on stainless steel neck chains, pewter bracelets, earrings, and brooches from Canada.
Why it’s analogous: CBP classified stainless steel and base-metal earrings/brooches as imitation jewelry under 7117.19 (then 7117.19.5000), establishing the heading classification framework for base-metal personal adornment earrings.
What the duty looks like
Duty math shown for illustrative declared values — $1.10 per unit at 25,000 units per year is our assumption for this explainer, not a measurement of anyone's imports. Your numbers will differ.
- Base duty rate (column 1, general)
- 11%
- Annual declared value at the illustrative numbers
- $27,500
- Base duty per year (illustrative)
- $3,025
- With chapter-99 overlays below (illustrative)
- $3,025
Alternatives considered
The full candidate set from the fetched tariff rows — including rows that would carry a higher duty. Shown so the reasoning is checkable, not to offer a rate menu.
| Code | Description | General rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7113.20.50.00 | Other | 5.2% | Articles of jewelry of base metal clad with precious metal — Other (general rate: 5.2%). Would apply only if CBP were to determine that the gold ion-plating constitutes 'precious metal cladding' rather than mere plating. Current CBP practice and rulings (N286712, N214377) treat gold plating on stainless steel as plating, not cladding, making this heading inapplicable; but importers should retain technical data on ion-plate thickness to rebut any reclassification attempt. |
| 7117.90.90.00 | Other | 11% | Imitation jewelry — Other (not base metal) — Other — Valued over 20 cents per dozen — Other — Other (general rate: 11%). Applicable only if stainless steel were argued not to be a 'base metal' within Chapter 71. Chapter 71 Note 1(a) and the EN confirm that iron and steel (including stainless steel) are base metals; this alternative is analytically remote. |
Importing this — or something like it?
Get this dossier for your own product: the same analysis on your exact description, origin, and declared values — recommended code, cited rulings, duty math, and the question to hand your broker when it matters.
Classify your product →