HS Codes and Duties: Importing Sweaters Explained

By YZR Sweaters · 2026-09

Every sweater that crosses a border carries a code, and that code shapes the duty rate, whether a trade preference applies and which documents your broker asks for. Understanding how knitwear is classified — and where classification usually goes wrong — makes landed cost far more predictable.

Knitwear sits in Chapter 61

Most sweaters, cardigans, pullovers, knitted polos and knitted dresses are classified in Chapter 61 of the Harmonized System: apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted. Chapter 62 is the woven equivalent, so a knitted jacket and a woven jacket can sit in different chapters at different rates. Knitted scarves sit in heading 6117, knitted gloves in 6116, and knitted hats leave the chapter as headgear in Chapter 65.

A sweater or a knitted T-shirt?

Classification follows construction, not what the marketing team calls the product. Knitted T-shirts, singlets and vests go to heading 6109. Collared shirt-type garments with a full front opening sit in 6105 for men's and 6106 for women's. Pullovers, jerseys and cardigans belong in 6110 — including button-through cardigans. On the boundary, customs looks at the cut, collar, placket and how the garment is worn.

• Knitted or woven — Chapter 61 versus Chapter 62.
• Garment type — pullover and cardigan (6110), shirt (6105/6106), T-shirt or vest (6109).
• Fibre composition by weight — decides the subheading and often the rate itself.
• Gender — men's and women's headings are separated across much of the chapter.

Fibre content drives the subheading

Within heading 6110 the lines split by fibre — wool, cashmere, cotton, man-made — and blends are classified by the fibre that predominates by weight. A 55% cotton / 45% acrylic sweater and its mirror image can land in different lines at different rates. Keep fibre-content records, and make sure the invoice composition matches the care label and the code you declare; mismatches here are a common trigger for customs queries.

Origin decides more than the code

Origin is not simply the country of export. Under most rules of origin, a knit garment becomes a product of a country where the origin-conferring operation happens — usually knitting to shape or assembling panels, not yarn spinning. Each trade agreement sets its own rule, so before claiming a preferential rate, check the product-specific rule and the proof of origin required.

Trade measures to watch in the US and EU

The schedule rate is only part of landed cost. Both major markets apply extra measures to certain origins.

• United States: additional duties under Section 301 have applied to many China-origin apparel lines, and low-value de minimis entry rules have changed in recent years. Verify current rates before pricing.
• European Union: the common customs tariff applies, with conventional rates for knit pullovers often in the low double digits before preference. GSP or an FTA can reduce or remove duty, but only with valid origin evidence. Trade defence measures target specific products, so check the list for your code.
• Supply chain rules: US forced-labour legislation and emerging EU due-diligence requirements put pressure on cotton traceability.
• Labelling: fibre content, care instructions and origin marking are generally required at import; language rules vary by market.

How to find the rate for your market

• Get the exact product description and fibre composition from your supplier before quoting duty.
• Look the heading up in your national tariff — US HTS, EU TARIC, UK Trade Tariff and equivalents all publish rates online.
• Read the rate for your origin column, then check for additional measures on top.
• For a rate you will rely on commercially, request a binding ruling: Binding Tariff Information in the EU, a CBP ruling in the US.
• Ask your broker for total landed cost including duty, import VAT or GST and freight — our landed cost worked example shows the full build-up, and the customs clearance walkthrough covers what happens once the codes meet the border.

Documents customs expects

• Commercial invoice with description, fibre composition, quantity, unit value, currency, Incoterm and HS code.
• Packing list matched to cartons, with pieces per carton and weights.
• Transport document — bill of lading or airway bill.
• Certificate of origin where a preference is claimed.
• Labels and test reports — fibre, care, origin marking, and restricted-substances or flammability reports where required.

Why knitwear shipments get held up

• Vague invoice descriptions such as "ladies' knitwear" that force customs to guess the composition and code.
• A declared composition that does not match the care label or test report.
• Unit values that look inconsistent with the declared code.
• Preference claims with missing or unsupported origin evidence.
• Mixed styles consolidated under one code without a carton breakdown.

Getting the paperwork right at the factory

A supplier used to export markets will issue an invoice carrying the composition your code needs and pack to the agreed carton list. At YZR Sweaters, a Dongguan knitwear manufacturer, we produce custom knitwear on an OEM/ODM basis and prepare export documentation with our partner factories, certified to BSCI, SEDEX and Oeko-Tex and open to buyer audits and third-party inspection. Flexible MOQ lets you validate codes, labels and documents on a sampling run first.

This article is general information, not customs, tax or legal advice. Rates, trade measures and documentation rules change and differ by country and product. Confirm every code, rate and requirement with your own customs authority and a licensed broker before you import.

Frequently asked questions