HS Code for Playing Cards
Playing cards have their own subheading in the HTSUS: 9504.40, within the heading for games and table or parlor game equipment in chapter 95, with a general rate of Free. The main questions are usually about the boundaries: whether a product is genuinely a deck of playing cards, a board game that includes cards, a game accessory such as poker chips, or a printed card that falls outside chapter 95 altogether. Confirming what the cards are used for is the first step in exploring the most appropriate code.
HTS Codes for Playing Cards
| HTS Code | Description | Duty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 9504.40.00.00 | Playing cards Standard and specialty decks of playing cards, including poker, bridge and branded card-game decks | Free |
| 9504.90.60.00 | Board games, chess, checkers, dominoes and similar games, including combinations Games played on a board of special design, including card games packaged with a game board | Free |
| 9504.90.90.80 | Other games and game accessories Poker chip sets, casino game accessories and other game articles that are not playing cards | Free |
| 4819.20.00.40 | Folding cartons, boxes and cases of non-corrugated paperboard, other Empty tuck boxes and card cases of paperboard imported without cards | Free |
How to Approach Classification for Playing Cards
Playing cards point toward subheading 9504.40 of the HTSUS, a single line (9504.40.00.00) within heading 9504, which covers video game consoles, articles for funfair, table or parlor games, and related equipment. Standard 52-card decks, poker and bridge decks, and decks for proprietary card games generally sit here, with no further split by material or size.
The main branch is between playing cards and other games. Board games and games played on boards of special design, such as chess, checkers and dominoes, point toward 9504.90.60, including card games packaged together with a game board. Other game articles and accessories, such as poker chip sets and casino game equipment, point toward the residual line at 9504.90.90.
A game sold as a set, for example a deck of cards with chips, dice and a playing mat, is usually reviewed as a whole. The component that gives the set its essential character tends to drive the suggestion, so a poker set built around chips may point toward a different line than a card game that simply includes a scorepad.
Not every printed card is a playing card. Cards that are not used to play a game, such as greeting cards, postcards, collectible trading cards treated as printed matter, flash cards or tarot and oracle cards marketed for purposes other than play, may fall under the printed matter headings in chapter 49 instead. How the cards are designed, packaged and marketed is worth documenting.
Packaging is handled separately when imported on its own. Empty tuck boxes and card cases of paperboard point toward heading 4819 for cartons and boxes, while decks imported in their retail packaging are classified as playing cards together with the box. A practical approach is to confirm that the item is a deck designed for playing games, then review any accompanying game components or separately imported packaging.
Duty Rate Overview
Playing cards under 9504.40 carry a general rate of Free. The neighboring game lines are also Free: board games and similar games under 9504.90.60, and other game articles and accessories under 9504.90.90. Empty paperboard tuck boxes and card cases imported on their own under 4819.20 also enter at a general rate of Free, so the general rate is the same across this group and classification mainly affects which line the goods are reported under.
These are general (MFN) rates only. Additional duties such as Section 301 or IEEPA measures can apply on top and vary by country of origin, which can matter more than the base rate for these goods. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.