Importing
HS Codes for Apparel Imports: A Practical Primer
Getting your HS classification wrong can cost more than your freight bill. Here is how apparel codes are structured.
The Harmonised System is the six-digit international framework customs authorities use to classify goods. Countries then add further digits for their own tariff schedules.
How apparel codes are structured
Chapter 61 covers knitted and crocheted apparel. Chapter 62 covers woven apparel. The distinction matters because duty rates frequently differ between the two chapters for what looks like the same garment.
The classification questions that matter
- Is the fabric knitted or woven?
- What is the dominant fibre by weight?
- Is the garment for men/boys or women/girls?
- Is it an outer garment, underwear or an accessory?
Where importers go wrong
Declaring a knitted training top under a woven heading, or defaulting to a supplier-supplied code without checking it against your own tariff schedule. The importer of record is liable for the classification, not the factory.
Practical advice
Ask your supplier for the code they use on export documents, then verify it independently against your national tariff database. For high-volume programmes, a binding tariff ruling removes the ambiguity permanently.
Need the correct fabric composition and product description for your customs paperwork? Request a quote at beltasports.com and Belta Sports will provide the details your customs broker needs to classify the goods.
Related reading
Planning a brand from scratch? Start with our pillar guide: How to Start a Sportswear Brand in 2027.
About the author
Hamza Iqbal
Head of Export Operations, Belta Sports
Hamza has spent over a decade coordinating apparel export shipments out of Sialkot for buyers in the UK, EU, US and Australia.