Part 40

Chapter 40

Rubber and articles thereof

1.-Except where the context otherwise requires, throughout this Schedule “rubber” means the following products, whether or not vulcanised or hard: natural rubber, balata, gutta-percha, guayule, chicle and similar natural gums, synthetic rubber, factice derived from oils, and such substances reclaimed.

2.-This Chapter does not cover:

(a) Goods of Section XI (textiles and textile articles);

(b) Footwear or parts thereof of Chapter 64;

(c) Headgear or parts thereof (including bathing caps) of Chapter 65;

(d) Mechanical or electrical appliances or parts thereof of Section XVI (including electrical goods of all kinds), of hard rubber;

(e) Articles of Chapter 90, 92, 94 or 96; or

(f) Articles of Chapter 95 (other than sports gloves and articles of 4011 to 4013).

3.- In 4001 to 4003.00.00 and 4005, “primary forms” applies only to the following forms:

(a) Liquids and pastes (including latex, whether or not pre-vulcanised, and other dispersions and solutions);

(b) Blocks of irregular shape, lumps, bales, powders, granules, crumbs and similar bulk forms.

4.- In Note 1 to this Chapter and in 4002, “synthetic rubber” applies to:

(a) Unsaturated synthetic substances which can be irreversibly transformed by vulcanisation with sulphur into non-thermoplastic substances which, at a temperature between 18°C and 29°C, will not break on being extended to three times their original length and will return, after being extended to twice their original length, within a period of five minutes, to a length not greater than one and a half times their original length. For the purposes of this test, substances necessary for the cross-linking, such as vulcanising activators or accelerators, may be added; the presence of substances as provided for by Note 5 (b) (ii) and (iii) is also permitted. However, the presence of any substances not necessary for the cross-linking, such as extenders, plasticisers and fillers, is not permitted;

(b) Thioplasts (TM); and

(c) Natural rubber modified by grafting or mixing with plastics, depolymerised natural rubber, mixtures of unsaturated synthetic substances with saturated synthetic high polymers provided that all the above-mentioned products comply with the requirements concerning vulcanisation, elongation and recovery in (a) above.

5.- (a) 4001 and 4002 do not apply to any rubber or mixture of rubbers which has been compounded, before or after coagulation, with:

(i) vulcanising agents, accelerators, retarders or activators (other than those added for the preparation of pre-vulcanised rubber latex);