HS Code for Pants

Pants (trousers) are classified in the apparel chapters of the HTSUS, and several attributes stack up to decide the code. The first branch is construction: knitted or crocheted trousers point toward chapter 61 (headings 6103 for men's and boys', 6104 for women's and girls'), while woven trousers point toward chapter 62 (heading 6203 for men's and boys'). Within those, the gender of the wearer, the fiber (cotton versus synthetic), and special features such as insulation, stretch (elastomeric yarn), water resistance or down fill each move the trousers to a more specific line. General rates range widely, from Free for down-filled styles, through around 7.1 percent for water-resistant synthetics and 10.3 percent for insulated cotton, up to roughly 14.9 to 16.6 percent for standard cotton trousers; so confirming construction, gender, fiber and features is the first step in exploring the most appropriate subheading.

Trousers do not sit in a single heading; they are split first by how the garment is made, so the starting point is whether the pants are knitted or woven rather than a catch-all 'pants' line. Knitted or crocheted trousers point toward chapter 61, and woven trousers toward chapter 62: the same garment in a knit and a woven version lands in different chapters.

The next branch is the gender of the wearer, because the chapters separate men's and boys' garments from women's and girls'. In the knit chapter, men's and boys' trousers point toward heading 6103 and women's and girls' toward heading 6104. In the woven chapter, men's and boys' trousers point toward heading 6203 (with a parallel heading, 6204, for women's and girls'). So identifying the intended wearer is needed before the fiber can be checked.

Fiber content then drives the subheading. Cotton trousers point toward the cotton subheadings (6103.42 and 6104.62 in the knit chapter, and 6203.42 in the woven chapter) while trousers of synthetic fibers point toward the synthetic-fiber subheadings, such as 6203.43. The dominant fiber by weight is what sorts a garment between these subheadings, and it also affects the estimated rate.

Below the fiber level, special construction features carve out their own statistical lines, and these can change the duty substantially. Trousers filled with down and waterfowl plumage point toward dedicated down lines that often enter Free; trousers insulated for cold weather protection have their own lines (around 10.3 percent); water-resistant woven synthetic trousers have a separate line (around 7.1 percent); stretch trousers containing 5 percent or more elastomeric yarn or rubber thread have their own line; and certain cotton trousers made with specified compact yarns carry a higher rate. A practical way to approach it is to confirm construction (knit or woven) first, then the wearer, then the dominant fiber, and finally any special feature such as insulation, water resistance, stretch content or down fill. That sequence points toward a single most-appropriate subheading to explore. It is generally better to work within these specific apparel headings than to reach for broad or 'other' garment lines, since the features noted above materially change the estimated rate.

General duty rates for trousers vary widely with fiber and features. Standard cotton trousers sit at the higher end (around 16.1 percent for men's knitted cotton trousers and around 16.6 percent for men's woven cotton trousers made with specified compact yarns) while women's knitted cotton stretch trousers are around 14.9 percent. Special-feature lines are markedly lower: trousers insulated for cold weather protection run around 10.3 percent, water-resistant woven synthetic trousers around 7.1 percent, and trousers filled with down and waterfowl plumage often enter at a general rate of Free. Because a single feature such as insulation, water resistance or down fill can move a garment from a mid-teens rate to Free, those features are worth confirming carefully. Preferential rates under free trade agreements may reduce or eliminate these duties for qualifying origins. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.