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This heading covers the various unwrought, semi-manufactured or powder forms of silver or of silver alloys (as defined in the General Explanatory Note), of gold-plated silver (silver gilt) or of silver plated with platinum. The heading does not, however, cover silver clad with precious metal.
Silver is a white metal, not corroded by the atmosphere but tending to tarnish; it is the best conductor of heat and electricity, and is the most malleable and ductile metal after gold. It is very soft in its pure state, and consequently is frequently alloyed with other metals. Unalloyed silver is, however, widely used in electrical applications (contacts, fuses, etc.), in certain apparatus used in the chemical or food industries or in surgery, and as a plating metal.
Under the provisions of Note 5 to this Chapter (see General Explanatory Note above), the silver alloys which may fall in this heading include : (1) Silver-copper alloys. The most important of these are used in the manufacture of coins or of goldsmiths' or silversmiths' wares; some are also used in the manufacture of electrical contacts. (2) Silver-copper-cadmium, silver-copper-titanium and silver-indium alloys, used in the manufacture of goldsmiths' or silversmiths' wares. (3) Silver-copper-zinc alloys, sometimes also containing cadmium, tin or phosphorus, used as solders. (4) Silver-antimony-tin-lead, silver-copper-lead, silver-cadmium and silver-thallium anti-friction alloys. (5) Sintered silver-tungsten, silver-molybdenum, silver-nickel andsilver-iron alloys, used to make electrical contacts. The heading covers silver and its alloys in the following forms : (Ⅰ) Powder, usually in the form of finely divided powder, obtained by various mechanical or chemical processes. It is used in metallurgy and in the manufacture of metallising preparations for electronic applications and of conducting cements.
The heading excludes powders or flakes prepared as colours, paints or the like (e.g., made up with other colouring matter or put up as a liquid or pasty dispersion in a binder or solvent); these fall in heading 32.06, 32.07 (liquid lustres and similar compounds for the ceramic or glass industries), 32.08 to 32.10, 32.12 or 32.13. (Ⅱ) Unwrought silver in lumps, grains, ingots, cast bars, pellets, etc.; also native silver in lumps, nuggets, crystals, etc., separated from their gangues. (Ⅲ) Bars, rods, sections, wire, plates, sheets and strip. These are usually obtained by rolling or drawing; strip and discs, etc., may also be obtained by cutting sheet silver. The heading includes silver thread for use in the textile industry provided it has not been spun or otherwise combined with textile yarn (Section XI). Very fine sterile silver wire used for surgical sutures is, however, classified in heading 30.06.
The heading also covers metallo-graphitic blocks, plates, bars, rods, etc., with a basis of "carbon", containing silver (see Explanatory Note to heading 38.01). (Ⅳ) Tubes and pipes (including coiled tubing) provided that they are note made up into specific identifiable articles (e.g., parts of chemical apparatus). (Ⅴ) Foil (for silvering) is usually obtained by hammering or beating thin sheets of silver separated by sheets of gold-beaters' skin. This foil is generally put up in booklets and may be fixed to a backing of paper, plastics, etc.
However the heading excludes stamping foils (also known as blocking foils) composed of silver powder agglomerated with gelatin, glue or other binder, or of silver deposited on paper, plastics or other support (heading 32.12). (Ⅵ) Purls, spangles and cuttings. Purls are small twists of silver wire used in embroidery or trimmings. Spangles and cuttings, used for the same purposes, are small pieces cut to geometric form (round, star-shaped, etc.) and usually pierced in the middle.
The heading does not cover castings, sinterings, stampings, pressings, etc., in the form of blanks for articles of jewellery, etc., falling in sub-Chapter III (e.g., settings, ring blanks, badges, flowers and figures).
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