Tempered glass smartphone screen protector with oleophobic coating and alignment frame
Country of origin for this scenario: China.
Recommended HTS code
7007.19.00.00
Other
HIGH confidence. Two directly on-point CBP rulings (N307558, N336478) classify chemically toughened glass smartphone screen protectors — including those with adhesive coatings, oleophobic coatings, and accessory kits containing alignment frames — under 7007.19.0000 via GRI 3(b) essential-character analysis. The glass is consistently held to impart essential character over plastic/accessory components. The 10-digit code 7007.19.00.00 appears in the verified HTS rows. Origin is China, so 9903.88.03 overlay applies per N307558 and the footnote on 7007.19.00.00.
Classification analysis generated on July 7, 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
Step 1 — GRI 1: Heading identification
The product is a cut, chemically toughened (tempered) glass screen protector for a smartphone. Chapter 70 covers glass and glassware. Heading 7007 specifically covers "safety glass, consisting of toughened (tempered) or laminated glass." Under 7007, subheading 7007.19 covers toughened safety glass *other than* that of size and shape suitable for incorporation in vehicles, aircraft, spacecraft or vessels (7007.11). A smartphone screen protector is not for a vehicle/aircraft, so 7007.19 is the correct subheading.
Step 2 — GRI 3(b): Composite goods / set analysis
The article is presented as a set: tempered glass piece + oleophobic coating + alignment frame. CBP consistently applies GRI 3(b) to such sets. In both N307558 (Spigen screen protector kit with adhesive, installation tray, UV lamp, accessories) and N336478 (Insignia screen protector kit with PET film, glue, wipes), CBP held that the glass imparts the essential character because it is the most outstanding and distinctive component — the coating and alignment frame are ancillary aids to installation. The oleophobic coating and alignment frame in the present product are functionally equivalent to the adhesive layers, installation trays, and accessories in N307558 and N336478.
Step 3 — Rejecting alternatives
- 8529.90: Chapter 85 parts heading was not applied by CBP in any of the supplied rulings for screen protectors. Section XVI Note 1(e) excludes articles of Chapter 70 from Section XVI. Since the glass essential-character analysis places the goods in Chapter 70, 8529 is excluded.
- 3926.90.99: N303687 classified a *plastic* protective case (Tough:Case™) under 3926 when the plastic case gave essential character to a kit. Here, the glass — not the plastic alignment frame — gives essential character, distinguishing this product from N303687.
- 7014.00.30: Not supported by any supplied ruling for screen protectors; optical glassware heading is inapplicable to a protective glass sheet.
Step 4 — Duty rate
- General (Column 1): 5% ad valorem (as shown in HTS row 7007.19.00.00).
- Section 301 / Chapter 99 overlay: Products of China classified under 7007.19.0000 are subject to an additional 25% ad valorem per U.S. Note 20 to Subchapter III, Chapter 99. The footnote on the verified HTS row references 9903.88.03 and 9903.88.69 — both must be verified at time of entry as additional overlay flags. N307558 confirmed 9903.88.03 applied to Chinese-origin glass screen protectors under 7007.19.0000.
Step 5 — Statistical suffix
The verified HTS row 7007.19.00.00 (indent 2, full 10-digit code) is present in the supplied evidence. Unit of quantity: m².
Financial exposure estimate
- 60,000 units × $0.90 = $54,000 declared value
- Column 1 general duty: 5% × $54,000 = $2,700
- Section 301 additional (9903.88.03): ~25% × $54,000 = $13,500 (verify current applicability)
- Total estimated duty: ~$16,200 (subject to verification of active 9903 overlay rate)
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: Spigen glass screen protector kit for a smartphone (soda lime glass, chemically toughened/tempered, with adhesive, installation tray, UV lamp, and accessories), from China
Why it’s analogous: Directly analogous: CBP applied GRI 3(b), found glass imparts essential character over plastic/accessory components, classified under 7007.19.0000 at 5% general duty, and confirmed 9903.88.03 Section 301 additional duty for Chinese-origin goods — identical product type, identical country of origin.
What it classified: Two Insignia-brand glass screen protectors (chemically toughened soda lime glass with anti-reflective coating, PET film, OCA glue, accessories) for iPhone 14 and iPad Pro
Why it’s analogous: Directly analogous: CBP applied GRI 3(b) to a set including glass with functional coating (anti-reflective) plus accessory components, held glass gives essential character, classified 7007.19.0000. The oleophobic coating and alignment frame in the subject product are materially equivalent to the anti-reflective coating and PET film kit in this ruling.
What it classified: Country of origin determination for a Spigen glass screen protector (iPhone 15 Pro Max), tempered glass with plastic tray and installation accessories
Why it’s analogous: Confirms CBP's classification of tempered glass screen protectors under subheading 7007.19 as the operative tariff classification basis; reinforces that the glass element (not the plastic tray/accessories) defines the article.
What it classified: Snakebyte Tough:Case (plastic protective case for Nintendo Switch) and Tough:Kit (set including plastic case, game case, tempered glass screen protector, cloth, control caps)
Why it’s analogous: Distinguished: CBP classified the kit under 3926.90.9990 because the *plastic case* gave essential character to that kit. Here the glass — not the plastic alignment frame — gives essential character, so 7007.19 governs rather than 3926.90.
What the duty looks like
Duty math shown for illustrative declared values — $0.90 per unit at 60,000 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)
- 5%
- Annual declared value at the illustrative numbers
- $54,000
- Base duty per year (illustrative)
- $2,700
Chapter-99 overlay headings flagged on this code
- 9903.88.03 — The duty provided in the applicable subheading + 25%. Except as provided in headings 9903.88.13, 9903.88.18, 9903.88.33, 9903.88.34, 9903.88.35, 9903.88.36, 9903.88.37, 9903.88.38, 9903.88.40, 9903.88.41, 9903.88.43, 9903.88.45, 9903.88.46, 9903.88.48, 9903.88.56, 9903.88.64, 9903.88.66, 9903.88.67, 9903.88.68, or 9903.88.69, articles the product of China, as provided for in U.S. note 20(e) to this subchapter and as provided for in the subheadings enumerated in U.S. note 20(f)
- 9903.88.69 — The duty provided in the applicable subheading. Effective with respect to entries on or after June 15, 2024 and through November 9, 2026, articles the product of China, as provided for in U.S. note 20(vvv) to this subchapter, each covered by an exclusion granted by the U.S. Trade Representative
Overlay applicability depends on origin, entry date, and any active exclusions — verify at entry.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8529.90.87.00 | Other | Free | Parts of apparatus of headings 8525–8528 (other; of articles of headings 8525 and 8527; other) — general rate Free, other 35%. Rejected: Section XVI Note 1(e) excludes Chapter 70 articles; CBP has not applied 8529 to glass screen protectors in any supplied ruling. If CBP were to recharacterize the product as a smartphone accessory part rather than a glass article, this subheading would apply, but current CBP precedent strongly favors 7007.19. |
| 3926.90.99 | Other | 5.3% | Other articles of plastics — general rate 5.3%. Rejected under GRI 3(b): glass imparts essential character per N307558 and N336478. Would only apply if plastic alignment frame were found to dominate, as in N303687 (plastic case kit), which is factually distinguishable. |
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