Find HS Code and trade information for escape board

Escape Board

An escape board, also known as a bee escape board, is a specialized beekeeping tool used to remove bees from honey supers or other parts of a beehive without the use of smoke or direct manipulation. It facilitates a one-way traffic flow, allowing bees to exit but preventing their re-entry.

Material:

• Wood: Traditionally constructed from wood, typically pine or cedar, offering durability and ease of fabrication.
• Plastic: Increasingly common due to its affordability, lightweight nature, and resistance to moisture.
• Metal: Less common, but used in some specialized designs for increased strength.

Purpose:

The primary purpose of an escape board is to clear honey supers of bees prior to honey harvesting. It avoids the need for techniques like bee blowing, smoking, or jarring, which can stress the bees and potentially contaminate the honey. It also allows for efficient removal of bees when moving frames or performing hive inspections.

Function:

An escape board works by utilizing a one-way valve system. It consists of a frame that fits between the honey super and the brood box (or another super). This frame incorporates one or more escape holes designed to allow bees to pass downwards, but not upwards.

• Escape Holes: These holes are typically around 9mm in diameter, allowing worker bees to pass through but being too small for the larger queen bee.
• One-Way Traffic: When placed between hive components, bees can descend into the lower box but cannot climb back up through the holes.
• Queen Exclusion: The queen bee, being unable to pass through the holes, remains in the upper super, prompting the worker bees to follow her downwards over time.

Usage Scenarios:

• Honey Harvesting: The most common application. The board is placed between the honey super and the brood box 24-48 hours before honey extraction.
• Moving Frames: Used to clear bees from frames before inspection or manipulation.
• Hive Consolidation: Facilitates the removal of bees from a super when combining hives.
• Queen Rearing: Employed in some queen rearing techniques for isolating queens.

Common Types:

• Porter Board: The most traditional type. It is a simple wooden frame with one or more escape holes. It requires lifting the entire hive body to install.
• Diamond Escape Board: Features diamond-shaped escape holes.
• Clear Board (or Plastic Escape Board): Constructed from plastic, offering a lightweight and easy-to-clean alternative.
• Excluder Boards with Escape Holes: Some excluder boards incorporate escape holes for added functionality.
• Hoffman Frame Escape Board: Designed to fit within a standard Hoffman frame, offering ease of use and integration.

Based on the provided information, “escape board” can be classified under the following HS codes:

• 9504906000: This HS code covers “Other: Chess, checkers, parchisi, backgammon, darts and other games played on boards of a special design, all the foregoing games and parts there of (including their boards); mah-jong and dominoes; any of the foregoing games in combination with each other, or with other games, packaged together as a unit in immediate containers of a type used in retail sales; poker chips and dice”. This code includes games played on boards, suggesting an escape board game would fall under this category. The subheading '9060' specifically covers games and parts thereof.
• 9504904000: This HS code covers “Other: Game machines, other than those operated by coins, banknotes (paper currency), discs or similar articles; parts and accessories thereof”. If the escape board incorporates electronic elements or is designed as a more complex game system (not simply a board game), it might be classified under this code. The subheading '9040' covers game machines and their parts.

Tax Rate Details:

For both HS codes 9504906000 and 9504904000:

• Basic Tariff: 0.0%
• Additional Tariff: 0.0%
• Additional Tariff after April 2, 2025: 30.0%
• Total Tariff: 30.0%

Important Note:

The classification between 9504904000 and 9504906000 depends on the nature of the “escape board”. If it is a traditional board game, 9504906000 is more appropriate. If it incorporates electronic components or functions as a more complex game machine, 9504904000 should be considered.