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Notes -
Couldn't that be stopped with some language such as "products are classified based on their primary use"? If most people remove the felt or the seats, they then wouldn't count.
I'm not a lawyer, but it is my impression that punishing the manufacturer for actions taken by the consumer is unconstitutional.
If you want to talk about the manufacturer's purpose in making certain manufacturing decisions, then you are on firmer ground. But, even then: Taking the seat case as an example, the manufacturer actually won on the first level of appeal, since the flimsy temporary seats were functional and standards-compliant despite being uncomfortable to actually use and removed (by the manufacturer, not by the consumer) immediately after importation, and it was only on the second level of appeal that the tariff was enforced. So closing these loopholes may be more difficult than it appears at first glance.
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