QUICK ANSWER Clothing classifies in HTS Chapter 61 if knitted and Chapter 62 if woven, then by material and garment type, and the resulting duty rates run among the highest in the tariff schedule, roughly 16 percent for a cotton t-shirt and up to 32 percent for a synthetic sweater before any China tariffs land on top. Every imported garment also needs three labels, country of origin, fiber content with an RN or company name, and care instructions, and CBP checks textiles harder than most cargo.
The HS code for clothing is where most apparel importers meet the tariff schedule for the first time, usually through a duty bill that did not match the quote. This guide covers how garments classify, what the rates look like and why, the three labels that must be sewn in before the goods ship, and where CBP focuses when the entry says textiles.
How clothing gets classified: Chapters 61 and 62
Apparel classification starts with one physical question: knitted or crocheted fabric goes to Chapter 61, woven fabric to Chapter 62. From there the heading follows the garment type and gender, and the subheading follows the fiber. Read 6109.10.00 as a worked example: 61 says knitted, 09 says t-shirts and similar, 10 says cotton, and the trailing US digits set the rate line, with two statistical digits after that. Two cotton shirts that look identical on a rack sit three duty points apart because one is knit and one is woven.
The mechanics of building and verifying a code, the general rules of interpretation, rulings, and the six-digit versus ten-digit split, are covered in our HTS classification guide; this page stays on what makes clothing specific. What matters at the customs entry is that the code asserted matches the fabric construction and fiber content the invoice describes, because on textiles CBP actually checks.
Duty rates on apparel, and why they run high
Apparel carries some of the highest MFN duty rates in the US schedule, a leftover of decades of textile trade policy, and the rate follows the fiber more than the garment.
Example MFN base rates from the USITC schedule
| Garment | Typical HTS line | MFN base rate |
|---|---|---|
| Cotton t-shirt, knit | 6109.10.00 | 16.5% |
| Cotton woven shirt | 6205.20.20 | 19.7% |
| Synthetic fiber sweater, knit | 6110.30.30 | 32% |
| Cotton trousers and jeans | 6203.42.45 | 16.6% |
| Synthetic women's dress | 6204.43.40 | 16% |
Treat the rates as schedule examples to verify against the current USITC tariff for your exact line, and read the pattern: man-made fibers price higher than cotton, and cotton higher than some wool lines. On China-origin apparel, Section 301 stacks its own layer on top of the MFN base, current status in our Section 301 guide. Free trade agreements can zero rates for qualifying goods, but apparel qualification runs through strict yarn-forward origin rules that most Asian-sourced garments do not meet.
TAKEAWAY On apparel, fiber choice moves duty more than product choice. A polyester sweater pays roughly twice the rate of a cotton one, which is a sourcing decision as much as a design decision, and it belongs in the costing sheet before the fabric is ordered.
Three labels every garment needs
US clothing carries three mandatory labels, usually on one sewn-in tag, and all three are the importer's problem at the port even though the factory prints them.
The mandatory apparel labels
| Label | What it must show | Rule behind it |
|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | The garment's origin, permanently attached, legible until it reaches the consumer | CBP marking rules |
| Fiber content and identity | Generic fiber names with percentages, plus an RN number or company name | Textile Fiber Products Identification Act |
| Care instructions | Washing or cleaning method that will not damage the garment | FTC Care Labeling Rule, 16 CFR 423 |
The origin label states where the garment was made; which country legally counts as the origin when fabric, cutting, and sewing happen in different places is its own body of rules, covered in our country of origin guide. All labeling must be in English, and a French-only or Chinese-only tag is a marking violation even when the information is complete.
Flammability and the children's wear layer
General wearing apparel must meet the flammability floor of 16 CFR 1610, which most ordinary fabrics pass, with the sharp exceptions living in sheer and brushed constructions. Children's sleepwear carries its own stricter flammability standards, and children's clothing generally runs through the same testing-and-certificate regime, described in our toy import guide, which covers children's products beyond toys.
What CBP checks on textile entries
Textiles sit near the top of CBP's enforcement priorities year after year, and apparel entries get read closely. The invoice needs a real garment description, fiber content, knit or woven construction, gender, not "wearing apparel" and a value. Undervaluation is the classic textile flag, and origin gets scrutinized because apparel has a long history of transshipment through third countries to dodge duties and quotas. An entry whose invoice, labels, and classification tell the same story clears; one with gaps invites the exam.
TAKEAWAY On textile entries the commercial invoice is the first line of defense. A description specific enough to classify from, matching the sewn-in labels, answers most CBP questions before they get asked.
How Platton ships apparel to the US
Apparel lanes are origin-diverse and duty-heavy, so the file work concentrates on classification consistency and origin data.
The classification picture reviewed in the file
HTS lines, invoice descriptions, and fiber contents get reviewed for consistency across the shipment file, flagged where they disagree, through our customs compliance service, with the classification decision staying where the law puts it, on the importer.
Vietnam and India lanes alongside China
Apparel sourcing has spread across Asia, and so have our lanes: Vietnam to the US and India to the US run alongside the China gateways, with consolidation options sized for garment volumes rather than container-scale minimums.
Textile-grade invoice detail at the entry
The broker files the entry with the invoice detail CBP expects on textiles, assembled in the shipment file before arrival rather than reconstructed during a request for information.
Common Questions About Apparel Imports
What is the HS code for clothing?
There is no single code: clothing spans HTS Chapters 61 and 62, split by knitted versus woven construction, then by garment type and fiber. A cotton knit t-shirt classifies at 6109.10.00, a woven cotton shirt at 6205.20.20, a synthetic dress at 6204.43.40. The right code for your product follows its fabric construction, fiber content, and gender cut, which is why those three facts belong on every invoice.
What is the import duty on clothing into the US?
MFN base rates on apparel run high, commonly 16 to 20 percent and up to 32 percent for man-made fiber knitwear, with the rate driven mostly by fiber. China-origin garments add the Section 301 layer on top, and free trade agreement relief exists but demands yarn-forward qualification most Asian production cannot meet. Budget from your exact HTS line, not a category average.
What does HS code 6204.43.00 cover?
Women's or girls' dresses of synthetic fibers, in woven construction: 62 marks woven apparel, 04 marks women's suits, dresses, and similar, 43 marks synthetic fiber dresses. It is a useful example of how much information a clothing code carries, construction, gender, garment, and fiber, before the statistical digits even start.
Do imported clothes need a country of origin label?
Yes. Every imported garment must carry its country of origin on a permanent label, attached securely enough to survive until the consumer buys it, in English, and typically at the neck for garments with a neckline. Removing or replacing origin labels after entry is a violation. Which country counts as origin under the transformation rules is a separate legal question from the label itself.
Are clothes exempt from US tariffs?
No. Apparel is among the most consistently dutied categories in the schedule, and no general exemption exists. Rates can reach zero only through free trade agreement qualification, which for clothing runs through yarn-forward origin rules, or narrow provisions such as goods returned. For mainstream imported fashion from Asia, plan on the full MFN rate plus any China tariffs that apply.
What HTS code covers used clothing?
Heading 6309 covers worn clothing, but with a catch importers regularly miss: it is scoped to bulk-traded, sorted secondhand goods, and commercial practice ties it to rag and recycling streams. Curated resale pieces imported to be worn generally classify like new garments of their kind, at the same duty rates. Classify by what the goods are, not by the discount they were bought at.
Related Industry Guides
HTS and HS codes: the classification mechanics behind every code on this page.
Country of origin rules: which country legally made your garment.
Importing toys: the children's product certificate rules that also cover kidswear.
Apparel and fashion freight forwarding: how Platton runs garment lanes to the US.
