9014.80.20.00 - Ships' logs and depth-sounding apparatus

This HTS category, 9014.80.20.00, specifically covers ships' logs and depth-sounding apparatus. Ships' logs are instruments designed to measure and record a vessel's speed through the water and the distance it has traveled. Depth-sounding apparatus, also known as echo sounders or sonar, are devices used to measure the depth of water beneath a vessel by emitting sound pulses and measuring the time it takes for them to return after reflecting off the seabed. These instruments are crucial for navigation, safety, and charting purposes.

While this category falls under "Other instruments and appliances" within the broader navigational instruments section, it is distinct from other subcategories that might include general navigational aids or direction-finding equipment. Its focus is specifically on the measurement of speed, distance traveled, and water depth, rather than determining bearing or position.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS, there are no further subcategories. Therefore, classification under 9014.80.20.00 is definitive for goods meeting the described functions of ships' logs and depth-sounding apparatus, provided they are not classifiable in more specific headings or subheadings within Chapter 90. The primary classification criteria will revolve around the instrument's primary function and design for maritime application.