HS Code Category

HS Code Candidates for Clothing

Use this page to prepare candidate HS headings, product facts, material and function variants, invoice descriptions, ecommerce catalog fields, and risk flags before official review.

Use HS Code Finder Check CSV Catalog Read Methodology

Answer summary

Product facts to verify

Main material and fiber or chemical composition
Construction: knitted, woven, molded, assembled
Function and intended use
Whether it includes electronics, battery, magnets, leather, or textile
Country of origin and destination market

Use this tool

HS Code Finder Commercial Invoice CSV Catalog Checker

Source note

Candidates are preparation aids only. Verify final code in USITC HTS, EU TARIC, or the destination tariff database before filing.

Last reviewed

2026-08-02

Candidate headings table

Review candidates

The table below lists candidate HS headings for clothing. Each row is a starting point, not a final classification; verify in the destination tariff database before filing.

Code	Heading	Use when
`6109`	T-shirts, singlets, and other vests, knitted or crocheted	Knitted upper-body garments including T-shirts, tank tops, and base layers.
`6110`	Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, knitted or crocheted	Knitted mid and outer layers including hoodies, sweaters, and knitted jackets.
`6203`	Men’s or boys’ suits, jackets, trousers, woven	Woven men’s or boys’ suits, jackets, blazers, and trousers.
`6204`	Women’s or girls’ suits, jackets, dresses, woven	Woven women’s or girls’ suits, jackets, dresses, and skirts.
`6205`	Men’s or boys’ shirts, woven	Woven men’s or boys’ dress shirts and casual shirts.
`6206`	Women’s or girls’ blouses, shirts, and shirt-blouses, woven	Woven women’s or girls’ blouses and shirt-blouses.
`6115`	Hosiery, pantyhose, socks, knitted or crocheted	Knitted socks, stockings, tights, and similar hosiery items.
`6505`	Hats and caps	Knitted, woven, or assembled hats and caps, including baseball caps and beanies.

National extensions after the 6-digit heading vary by destination market. Verify the full national code in USITC HTS, EU TARIC, or UK Trade Tariff before filing.

Decision tree

How to classify clothing

Step 1: Identify fiber and construction

Cotton, polyester, wool, silk, blend; knitted vs woven vs crocheted.

Step 2: Pick the chapter

Knitted or crocheted garments fall under chapter 61; woven garments fall under chapter 62; headwear falls under chapter 65.

Step 3: Pick the function and gender

T-shirt, hoodie, shirt, trouser, dress, sock, hat; men’s vs women’s vs unisex vs children.

Step 4: Apply the national extension

Open USITC HTS, EU TARIC, or UK Trade Tariff and confirm the 10-digit code.

Step 5: Document on the invoice

Use a strong description: fiber + construction + function + gender. Avoid generic words such as apparel, garment, accessory.

Step 6: Save the classification note

Write a short note explaining fiber, construction, function, gender, candidate code, and origin.

Material variants

How material changes the code

Material	Typical heading	Notes
Cotton	6109 / 6110 / 6203-6206	Common T-shirt, hoodie, and shirt fiber; verify knit vs woven construction.
Polyester or synthetic blend	6109 / 6110 / 6203-6206	Sportswear and hoodie common blend; verify knit vs woven.
Wool	6110 / 6203-6204	Sweaters, suits, and coats; fiber mix and knit vs woven drive the heading.
Denim (cotton twill)	6203 / 6204	Jeans and denim jackets are usually woven men’s or women’s outerwear.
Silk	6203-6206	Blouses, dresses, and shirts; usually woven women’s upper-body.
Linen	6203-6206	Lightweight woven shirts and dresses; verify national extension for fiber mix.

Function and use-case variants

How function changes the code

Function	Typical heading	Notes
Upper-body knitted T-shirt	6109	Most common ecommerce apparel SKU; the fiber and knit construction must be on the invoice.
Upper-body knitted hoodie or sweater	6110	Knitted mid or outer layer; verify whether the item has a zip (still 6110).
Upper-body woven shirt or blouse	6205 / 6206	Woven men’s shirt or women’s blouse; gender split drives the heading.
Lower-body woven trouser or jean	6203 / 6204	Men’s or women’s woven trouser; denim jeans are usually 6203/6204.
Knitted sock or hosiery	6115	Knitted hosiery; verify fiber mix for the destination national extension.
Hat or cap	6505	Knitted, woven, or assembled headwear; the chapter shifts to 65 for headwear.

Risk flags

Source-check required

Flag	Impact on classification	Where to verify
Fiber composition under declaration threshold	Some destinations apply duties based on the dominant fiber by weight; verify the fiber mix before quoting.	USITC HTS chapter 61 / 62 notes, EU TARIC textile rules.
Knit vs woven construction	The same garment can shift between chapter 61 and 62 depending on construction.	HS explanatory notes for chapters 61 and 62.
Gender and age splits	Men’s, women’s, and children’s garments often split into separate headings; verify before filing.	USITC HTS, EU TARIC, UK Trade Tariff gender notes.
Used clothing	Some destinations restrict or ban used clothing imports; the heading shifts to 6309 for used textile articles.	Destination customs authority, used textile import rules.
Textile labeling requirements	Some destinations require fiber-content labels and country-of-origin labels on the garment.	Destination consumer product safety authority.
Additional tariff for China origin	Section 301 additional tariff may apply on top of base duty for China-origin apparel.	USTR Section 301 list, USITC HTS.

Risk flags signal the need for official review before the candidate code is used on customs documents.

Invoice description examples

Strong descriptions

Strong invoice descriptions include material, function, product type, and key components (battery, electronics, magnet, leather, textile). Avoid generic words such as gift, sample, accessory, or product. The descriptions below are examples only, not final classifications.

Cotton knitted T-shirt, short sleeve, men’s, no appliqué
Polyester knitted hoodie, pullover, unisex, no zipper
Cotton woven shirt, long sleeve, men’s dress shirt
Cotton denim jeans, woven, men’s, indigo wash
Cotton knitted socks, crew length, 3-pair pack
Wool knitted cardigan, long sleeve, women’s

Use these descriptions on the commercial invoice line item, with the candidate HS code and country of origin declared per line.

Ecommerce catalog fields

Shopify, WooCommerce, and CSV fields to check

Before labels and invoices are generated, prepare these fields in your ecommerce catalog. The CSV Catalog Checker scans Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon, or custom CSV exports for missing customs fields locally in your browser.

Field	Why it matters
SKU	Stable identifier; survives product title edits; maps catalog row to invoice line.
Product title	Marketing label; should match but not replace the customs description.
Fiber composition (cotton / polyester / wool / blend)	Drives the duty band and the fiber-mix rule; must be on the invoice.
Construction (knitted / woven / crocheted)	Drives the chapter 61 vs 62 split; must be on the invoice.
Function (T-shirt / hoodie / shirt / trouser / dress / sock / hat)	Drives the 6-digit subheading within the chapter.
Gender and age (men’s, women’s, unisex, children)	Drives the gender split headings; must be on the invoice.
Country of origin	Drives Section 301, preferential treatment, and country-of-origin labeling.
Candidate HS code	Working candidate from the AI HS Code Finder; never a final classification.
Customs description	Strong description (fiber + construction + function + gender) used on the commercial invoice.
Unit value and currency	Customs value input; affects duty base and de minimis treatment.
Quantity per inner pack / case	Supports packing list cross-check and weight validation.
Destination market	Pick the correct national tariff database for verification (USITC HTS, EU TARIC, UK Trade Tariff).

Pair this with the Commercial Invoice Generator, the HS Code Finder, and the CSV Catalog Checker.

Worked example

Worked example: classifying a $7 cotton T-shirt

Scenario: A Shopify merchant lists a cotton T-shirt at a unit value of $7, FOB Yiwu, MOQ 1,000 units, sold to US buyers. The merchant needs a candidate HS code and a commercial invoice draft.

Step 1: identify the product facts. Fiber is 100% cotton; construction is knitted; function is upper-body T-shirt; gender is unisex; no appliqué, no decorative trim, no embellishment.
Step 2: pick the closest candidate heading. Knitted upper-body T-shirts fall under 6109. The merchant uses 6109 as a working candidate and verifies the national extension in USITC HTS.
Step 3: confirm the fiber and gender. The description "cotton knitted T-shirt, short sleeve, unisex" matches the candidate; verify any gender split in the national extension.
Step 4: confirm origin and additional tariff. Origin is China; the merchant checks the USTR Section 301 list for the current rate on 6109.
Step 5: write the invoice description. Use "cotton knitted T-shirt, short sleeve, unisex, no appliqué" so the description matches the candidate.
Step 6: document the basis. Keep a short note: fiber 100% cotton, construction knitted, candidate 6109, country of origin China.

Final classification depends on product facts, destination tariff rules, and official review. The candidate is preparation aid only.

Common mistakes

What to avoid

Treating knit and woven as the same heading family without verifying construction.
Reusing one HS code across men’s, women’s, and children’s garments without checking gender splits.
Forgetting to declare fiber composition on the commercial invoice.
Treating the heading number as final without verifying the national extension.
Missing Section 301 additional tariff for China-origin apparel.
Reusing one HS code across fiber blends (cotton vs polyester vs wool).
Ignoring destination rules on used clothing imports.

Related Tools

Continue the workflow

Editorial

About this category page

Written by the TariffCatalog Editorial Team. Maintained by Ryan Cole and reviewed for candidate-only customs-data workflow clarity.

This page follows TariffCatalog's methodology for candidate-only classification, estimate-only calculators, and document draft workflows. Candidates are preparation aids, not binding classifications.

Methodology Sources Report an error

Maintainer

Reviewed by Ryan Cole

Ryan Cole maintains TariffCatalog from the perspective of a long-time ecommerce operator with 15+ years of experience in product catalog, international shipping, and pre-shipment data workflows. This page is reviewed for candidate-only HS code preparation, source-check clarity, and estimate-only or candidate-only wording.

TariffCatalog is a preparation aid, not a customs broker, legal, tax, or freight-forwarding service. Verify final classifications, rates, documents, and filing treatment with official sources or qualified professionals.

Last reviewed: August 2026 · Maintainer entity: Ryan Cole · Source policy: verified against official customs and tariff sources

Official Source Note

Check final codes

USITC HTS

Verify candidate headings and destination-specific extensions.

CBP

Verify candidate headings and destination-specific extensions.

EU TARIC

Verify candidate headings and destination-specific extensions.

UK Trade Tariff

Verify candidate headings and destination-specific extensions.

FAQ

Common questions

What is the HS code of clothes?

Clothing does not have one universal HS code. A candidate depends on the garment type, fiber, knit or woven construction, gender or age group, destination, and national tariff extension. Knitted T-shirts may be reviewed under 6109, knitted pullovers under 6110, and woven garments under headings in 6203–6206. Verify the destination code before filing.

What is the HS code for cotton clothing?

Cotton clothing may fall under different candidate headings depending on whether it is a T-shirt, shirt, trouser, dress, sweater, or hosiery, and whether it is knitted or woven. Record the cotton percentage and garment construction, then verify the relevant national extension in the destination tariff.

Does knit vs woven change a clothing HS code?

Yes. Knitted and crocheted garments are generally reviewed in chapter 61, while woven garments are generally reviewed in chapter 62. The product name alone is not enough; record construction before choosing a candidate.

Why does fiber composition matter for clothing duty?

Fiber composition can change the subheading and duty treatment. Record the percentage by weight, especially for cotton-polyester blends, and keep the same composition in the catalog and invoice description.

Do men’s and women’s clothing use different headings?

Often yes. Men’s, women’s, boys’, girls’, and children’s apparel may split into different subheadings. Verify the destination convention for unisex products instead of applying one rule to every variant.

Does country of origin affect clothing duty?

Yes. Origin can affect additional tariffs, preferential treatment, and other measures. Ship-from country is not automatically country of origin; verify origin separately from the destination tariff and applicable trade measures.

What should a clothing invoice description include?

Include fiber, construction, garment type, gender or age group, quantity, unit value, and origin. For example: “100% cotton knitted T-shirt, short sleeve, women’s, crew neck.” Avoid a description that only says clothing or apparel.

Are these HS code candidates binding?

No. These headings are candidates and preparation aids. Final classification depends on the product facts, destination tariff rules, and any binding ruling or official review. Verify before filing.

Last reviewed: 2026-08-02

Disclaimer

TariffCatalog provides candidate HS code suggestions, estimate-only calculators, and document drafts. Verify final classifications, duty rates, document requirements, and filing obligations with official sources, carriers, brokers, or destination authorities before filing or shipping.

Candidate headings on this page are preparation aids, not binding classifications. Final classification depends on exact product facts and the destination tariff rules in effect on the entry date.