HS Code for Plastic
"Plastic" is a broad term rather than a single article, so it is spread across many headings of chapter 39 depending on the form the plastic takes. Semi-finished material (plates, sheets, film and strip) points toward headings 3920 (non-cellular) and 3921 (cellular or reinforced), while finished plastic articles point toward the article headings, such as heading 3923 for sacks and bags used to convey or pack goods and heading 3926 for other articles of plastics not named more specifically. Estimated duty across these lines runs roughly 3% to 6.5%. Because chapter 39 is organized by form and by article, the most appropriate heading depends heavily on the specific product (its form, whether it is a raw sheet or a finished article, and whether a more specific heading exists), so this page is a starting map rather than a single code.
HTS Codes for Plastic
| HTS Code | Description | Duty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3920.10.00.00 | Other plates, sheets, film, foil and strip of plastics, non-cellular and not reinforced, of polymers of ethylene Non-cellular, non-reinforced sheet and film of polyethylene (semi-finished plastic sheeting) | 4.20% |
| 3921.13.11.00 | Other plates, sheets, film of plastics, cellular, of polyurethanes: combined with textile, over 70 percent by weight of plastics Cellular polyurethane sheet combined with textile, over 70% plastics by weight | 4.20% |
| 3921.13.15.00 | Other plates, sheets, film of plastics, cellular, of polyurethanes: combined with textile, other Cellular polyurethane sheet combined with textile, other composition | 6.50% |
| 3921.13.19.10 | Cellular polyurethane sheet with textile components in which vegetable fibers predominate by weight Cellular polyurethane sheet whose textile component is predominantly vegetable fibers | 5.30% |
| 3921.13.50.00 | Other plates, sheets, film of plastics, cellular, of polyurethanes: other Other cellular polyurethane plastic sheet | 4.20% |
| 3923.29.00.00 | Sacks and bags (including cones) for the conveyance or packing of goods, of other plastics Sacks and bags for conveyance or packing of goods, of plastics other than polymers of ethylene | 3% |
| 3926.90.10.00 | Other articles of plastics: buckets and pails Finished plastic articles - buckets and pails | 3.40% |
| 3926.90.16.00 | Other articles of plastics: pacifiers Finished plastic articles - pacifiers | 3.10% |
| 3926.90.21.00 | Other articles of plastics: ice bags, nursing cushions, and similar named articles Finished plastic articles - ice bags, bulbs for syringes and similar named health items | 4.20% |
| 3926.90.25.00 | Other articles of plastics: handles and knobs, not elsewhere specified or included Finished plastic articles - handles and knobs not specified elsewhere | 6.50% |
| 3926.90.30.00 | Other articles of plastics: parts for yachts, pleasure boats and certain non-motorized craft Finished plastic articles - parts for yachts, pleasure boats and similar craft | 4.20% |
| 3926.90.33.00 | Other articles of plastics: handbags Finished plastic articles - handbags | 6.50% |
How to Approach Classification for Plastic
"Plastic" covers a whole chapter of the tariff rather than one heading, so the first thing to establish is what form the plastic is in and whether it is raw material or a finished article. Chapter 39 is organized so that primary forms and semi-finished material sit apart from finished articles: it begins with polymers in primary forms (headings 3901 to 3914), then moves through waste and semi-finished plates, sheets, film and strip, and ends with articles of plastics. A generic "plastic" product therefore points toward different headings depending on where it sits along that path.
For semi-finished material, the key branch is cellular versus non-cellular and whether the sheet is reinforced or combined with other materials. Non-cellular, non-reinforced plates, sheets, film and strip point toward heading 3920, for example, plain polyethylene sheeting. Cellular plastics, and sheets combined with textile or otherwise reinforced, point toward heading 3921, where the featured lines split cellular polyurethane sheet by whether it is combined with textile and by the predominant fiber. So for plastic sheet and film, the cellular-or-not and reinforced-or-not questions steer the heading.
For finished articles, the branch is the article itself. Sacks and bags for the conveyance or packing of goods point toward heading 3923, the packaging-articles heading, with a line for bags of plastics other than polyethylene. Other finished plastic articles that are not named more specifically point toward heading 3926, the residual 'other articles of plastics' heading, whose featured lines run from buckets and pails to handles and knobs, handbags and various named health items. A finished plastic part or object that is 3D printed and not more specifically provided for often points toward this 3926 'other articles' group.
A practical approach is to identify the form first (primary/raw material, semi-finished sheet or film, or finished article), and then, for a finished article, to check whether the tariff has a more specific heading before defaulting to the 3926 catch-all. Many everyday plastic goods are named elsewhere: plastic tableware and kitchenware point toward heading 3924, self-adhesive plastic tape toward heading 3919, and plastic gaskets and seals toward the specific seals line in heading 3926 rather than the buckets-and-household catch-alls. Because "plastic" is so broad, treat this page as a map to the right part of chapter 39 and confirm the specific heading against the actual product and its form.
Duty Rate Overview
Estimated duty across the featured chapter 39 plastic lines is moderate, roughly 3% to 6.5%. Semi-finished sheet and film in headings 3920 and 3921 are estimated around 4.2% for non-cellular polyethylene sheet and for several cellular polyurethane lines, with a textile-combined line around 6.5% and a vegetable-fiber line around 5.3%. Finished-article lines in heading 3926 range from about 3.1% for pacifiers and 3.4% for buckets and pails up to about 6.5% for handles, knobs and handbags, while sacks and bags in heading 3923 are estimated around 3%. Because the rate depends on the specific form and article, the estimate follows from correctly placing the product within chapter 39. Preferential rates under free trade agreements may reduce or eliminate these duties for qualifying origins. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.