HS Codes for Clothing: Why There’s No Single Code & How to Find Yours

The Hard Truth About the “HS Code for Clothing” Question

If you’ve landed here typing “hs code for clothing” into a search bar, you’ve probably already hit a wall: there is no single HS code that covers all clothes. I learned this the expensive way in 2017, when a 20-foot container of mixed inventory—cotton tee shirts, polyester fleece zip-ups, and a few dozen used denim jackets—was flagged at the Port of Los Angeles. I had declared everything under a generic “apparel” description with one code I’d copied from a forum. The shipment sat for 11 days, accruing $340 in demurrage before a customs broker re-classified each line item.

The Harmonized System (HS) is a six-digit global standard maintained by the World Customs Organization, but clothing is deliberately spread across multiple chapters because tariff rates and trade remedies depend on how a garment is constructed, what it’s made of, and who wears it. When someone asks “What is the HS code of clothes?” the accurate answer is: it depends on whether the item is knitted or woven, its material composition, and whether it is new, used, or made of fur. The six-digit HS becomes a ten-digit Schedule B or HTS code in the United States, and those extra digits change your duty rate.

One quick myth-busting point that search results often muddy: HS code 7002390090 is not clothing at all. That ten-digit number falls under Chapter 70 (glass and glassware) and covers specific laboratory glassware or lighting components. If a lookup tool suggests 7002390090 for apparel, it’s a data error or a mismatch. For a deeper look at terminology, our article on the differences between apparel and clothing explains why “apparel” in trade law often includes accessories that clothing alone may not.

Which HS Chapters Actually Cover Clothing?

Most new garments fall into two chapters: 61 for knitted or crocheted items, and 62 for woven (cut-and-sewn) pieces. But the system also carves out Chapter 63 for made-up textile articles, worn clothing, and rags, and Chapter 43 for fur apparel. Missing these leads to the fragmented snippets you see on competitor pages.

Chapter 61: Knitted or Crocheted Garments

This chapter captures anything produced from yarn interlooped by machine or hand—think jersey tee shirts, sweaters, and leggings. The first two digits “61” are universal; the next four narrow the item. For example, 6109.10 is a cotton knit tee. The thing nobody tells you about Chapter 61 is that “knit” includes crochet, and many modern performance shirts are warp-knitted, which still counts. If you misread a fabric as woven, you’ll be in Chapter 62 and likely pay a different duty.

Chapter 62: Woven Apparel

Woven garments are built from threads interlaced at right angles—denim jeans, dress shirts, trench coats. Here 6203 covers men’s suits, ensembles, jackets, trousers; 6204 is women’s. A frequent edge case: a garment that is “bonded” (non-woven fused textile) may be ruled under 6210 if it’s for technical use. When I first tried to classify a bonded breathable rain shell, I assumed 62.03; Customs referenced the specific footnote and placed it in 6210.20, saving me 2.3% duty but requiring extra documentation.

Chapter 63: Worn Clothing, Textile Articles, and Rags

New clothing never belongs here, but used or worn clothing does. HS code 63090000 is the six-digit international code for “worn clothing and other worn textile articles; rags.” In the U.S. HTS, it expands to 6309.00.00.00 with no further breakout by material because the policy goal is to monitor secondhand imports as a category. If you’re asking “What is the HS code for worn clothes?” the answer is 6309.00 (or 63090000 in six-digit form). This code also covers footwear and accessories that are worn, but not fur (that’s 43).

Chapter 43: Articles of Fur

Fur clothing and accessories sit in Chapter 43, specifically 4303 for articles of apparel and clothing accessories made of fur. This is separate because many countries apply outright bans or strict CITES permits. A “faux fur” polyester pile coat, however, reverts to Chapter 61 or 62 based on construction—an exception that trips up first-time exporters.

Below is a practitioner’s quick-reference table I keep pinned in my shipping office:

A Decision Framework to Find Your Exact Clothing HS Code

Instead of guessing, use this four-step flow I developed after clearing 400+ shipments. It mirrors how customs officers actually inspect:

1. Construction first: Stretch the fabric. If it loops and gives, it’s knit/crochet → Chapter 61. If it’s a rigid weave, → Chapter 62. If it’s a finished textile article not garment-shaped (like flags) or worn, → 63. If it’s animal fur skin, → 43.
2. Material second: Read the label. Cotton gets its own four-digit breakout (e.g., 6109.10); synthetic blends go to 6109.90 or 6203.42 depending. Wool and silk have separate lines.
3. Wearer third: Men’s, women’s, baby (under 7 yrs per U.S. notes), or unisex (default to men’s if no clear women’s styling).
4. Garment type fourth: Shirt, trousers, jacket, dress, etc. Then append the U.S. 10-digit suffix for specific finishing or trade program.

Most people don’t realize that a 6-digit HS code is just the international baseline. The U.S. Schedule B’s 10 digits are legally required for export declarations, and the last four digits often determine whether you qualify for a preferential program like GSP or pay full MFN duty.

Edge cases abound. A “set” comprising a knit top and knit bottom sold together as a sweatsuit is classified as an “ensemble” under 6103 (men’s) or 6104 (women’s), not separately. If the top is knit but bottom woven, the ensemble rule generally defaults to the component that gives the essential character—often the outer shell. I once misclassified a coordinated set as two separate codes; the broker corrected it and the duty dropped because ensembles carry a single lower rate.

Material Composition: Where the Six-Digit Code Gets Granular

Within Chapters 61 and 62, the HS digs into fiber content after the first split. For knits, 6109 covers tee shirts, but 6109.10 is cotton, 6109.90 is other (polyester, blends). For woven shirts, 6205.20 is cotton men’s, 6205.30 is man-made fiber. The thing nobody tells you about is that a “primary” fiber must be over 50% by weight; if you have a 50/50 cotton-poly blend, the general interpretive rule 3(b) sends you to the chapter where the classification is more specific—often the synthetic heading because cotton has its own earlier breakout. I’ve seen shipments of 50/50 tees coded as cotton incorrectly, leading to a 3% duty overpayment that added up to $1,200 on a single container.

Trade-offs exist: classifying as “other” (synthetic) might seem safer if you’re unsure, but if Customs lab tests and finds >50% cotton, you face a different rate plus negligence. The honest limitation is that visual inspection is insufficient for blends; you need the mill’s certificate of analysis.

Gender, Age, and the “Unisex” Trap

HS headings consistently separate men’s, women’s, and baby garments. Baby articles have their own subchapters: 6111 (knit) and 6209 (woven). The U.S. defines “baby” as under 7 years of age, based on size and styling. Unisex garments—common in streetwear—are legally classed as men’s unless they have distinct women’s cut (e.g., darted waist, different neckline). I learned this when a batch of boxy unisex hoodies was challenged; we submitted spec sheets showing no women’s shaping and kept the 6103.23 men’s code.

Most people don’t realize that baby clothing has its own chapters subcategories (6111 knit, 6209 woven) and cannot be lumped with adult unisex despite size tags.

HS Code 63090000: The Specifics for Worn and Used Clothing

What is HS code 63090000? It is the six-digit Harmonized System entry for worn clothing and other worn textile articles; rags. Under the U.S. HTS, you’ll see it as 6309.00.0000. This code is flat—there is no subdivision by fiber because used textiles are treated as a public-health and trade-policy category, not a fashion one. I once helped a nonprofit ship 2,000 lbs of donated tee shirts to a relief port; using 6109.10 initially got the container rejected because new-code implies commercial textile quotas. Switching to 6309.00 cleared it in 48 hours.

The HS code for worn clothes is therefore consistently 6309, but note that if the items are mutilated (cut for wiping rags) they still fall here. However, if you’re exporting vintage clothing that has been cleaned and pressed as “secondhand apparel” for resale, many brokers still use 6309.00 unless the destination country demands a new-garment code with a “used” qualifier. Always verify with the official U.S. International Trade Commission HTS portal because some trade remedies exclude used goods.

Why HS Code 7002390090 Shows Up (and Why It’s Wrong for Apparel)

What is HS code 7002390090? It’s a ten-digit U.S. HTS number for certain glassware—specifically “glass envelopes (including bulbs and tubes) for lamps or lighting fittings.” It appears in Chapter 70, not anywhere near clothing. In my experience, automated lookup tools that scrape outdated databases sometimes cross-pollinate results, showing 7002390090 next to “clothing” because of a shared keyword in a supplier’s description. If you ever see this code suggested for a shirt, reject it immediately; filing it will trigger a mismatch alert and possible penalty for negligent classification.

Costly Mistakes and the Label Details That Save You

The most common error I see new importers make is ignoring the permanent label. U.S. Customs may physically inspect and read the fiber content tag to confirm the HS material breakdown. If your label says “60% cotton 40% polyester” but you classified as 100% cotton (6109.10), you’ll be liable for the correct synthetic rate (6109.90) plus a potential fine. We cover the identification mechanics in our guide to the RN number on the clothing label, which is the registered identification number many U.S. manufacturers must display and which brokers use to trace origin.

Another trade-off: using a generic “umbrella” code to speed up entry. It might clear once, but a post-entry audit can reassess duties for three years back. The thing nobody tells you about is that customs brokers are not liable for your classification; the importer of record is. I’ve had to refile 7501 entries for a client after a random audit found 14% of their knit tops miscoded as woven.

Sets, Kits, and Multicomponent Shipments

When a shipment includes a garment with a matching accessory (belt, scarf), classification follows the “essential character” rule. A wool coat with a non-detachable fur collar stays in 6201 (woven coat) not 4303. But a fur scarf sold separately is 4302. I recall a holiday gift set: a knit hat + knit mittens + knit scarf. All same material, so 6117.20 (other accessories knit). If the set mixed a woven scarf with knit hat, we’d have to break them out—something many e-commerce sellers skip, resulting in a customs hold during peak season.

Global Variations: HS vs. Local Tariff Schedules

The six-digit HS is universal, but the European Union uses an 8-digit Combined Nomenclature (CN) code, China uses 10-digit, and the U.S. uses 10-digit HTS. If you sell on Etsy or ship via USPS internationally, the destination country’s version matters for the recipient’s taxes. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection import guidance notes that a wrong code can mean the buyer pays unexpected VAT. For sourcing, our piece on how to find a clothing manufacturer includes a supplier questionnaire that asks for the factory’s typical HS codes—a red flag if they don’t know.

Your 10-Minute HS Code Worksheet for Clothing

Print this and use it for each SKU:

• Step 1: Lay the garment flat. Stretch the seam—if it gives like a sweater, it’s knit (61). If it’s rigid, woven (62).
• Step 2: Read the label for fiber. Cotton = first material breakout; synthetics = later.
• Step 3: Note wearer: men, women, baby (under 7 years per U.S. notes), unisex (usually men’s if ambiguous).
• Step 4: Identify key item: shirt, trousers, jacket, dress, etc.
• Step 5: Check Chapter 63 if used, or 43 if fur skin.
• Step 6: On HTS, append U.S. digits: 6109.10.00.11 (cotton men’s knit tee, example suffix).

Final Checks Before You File the Entry

Before submitting a 7501 or electronic export information (EEI), confirm three things: (1) the ten-digit code matches the physical item, not a similar listing; (2) the declared value aligns with the code’s standard of valuation; (3) if claiming a special program indicator (SPI) like GSP, the code is eligible. In my early days, I claimed GSP on a 6203.42 wool suit only to learn wool suits are excluded—a $450 correction invoice followed. These are the non-obvious traps that separate a smooth import from a costly one.

The bottom line for the “hs code for clothing” search is this: treat classification as a layered funnel, not a lookup. Start with construction, then material, wearer, and condition. Use the official HTS, lean on a broker for the first three shipments, and keep your label data immutable. Do that, and you’ll avoid the demurrage bill I ate in 2017.