HS Code for Scarves
Scarves, shawls and mufflers are provided for in two parallel headings of the HTSUS depending on how the fabric is made: knitted or crocheted scarves point toward heading 6117, while woven and other non-knitted scarves point toward heading 6214. Within each heading the next branch is the fiber (silk, wool or fine animal hair, cotton, synthetic or man-made fibers), and that fiber drives the duty. Rates range widely, from about 1.2% to 1.5% for silk scarves up to roughly 11.3% for some cotton and wool-blended lines. Confirming whether the scarf is knitted or woven, and then its predominant fiber, is the first step in exploring the most appropriate heading and subheading.
HTS Codes for Scarves
| HTS Code | Description | Duty Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 6117.10.10.00 | Knitted or crocheted scarves of wool or fine animal hair Knitted or crocheted scarves and mufflers of wool or fine animal hair (subheading 6117.10) | 9.60% |
| 6117.10.20.10 | Knitted or crocheted scarves of man-made fibers, containing 23 percent or more by weight of wool or fine animal hair Knitted scarves of man-made fibers that also contain 23% or more wool or fine animal hair | 11.30% |
| 6117.10.40.00 | Knitted or crocheted scarves containing 70 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste Knitted or crocheted scarves that are 70% or more silk or silk waste | 1.50% |
| 6117.10.60.10 | Knitted or crocheted scarves of cotton Knitted or crocheted scarves and mufflers of cotton | 9.50% |
| 6214.10.10.00 | Woven scarves containing 70 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste Woven (not knitted) scarves that are 70% or more silk or silk waste (subheading 6214.10) | 1.20% |
| 6214.10.20.00 | Woven scarves of silk or silk waste, other Woven silk scarves containing less than 70% silk or silk waste | 3.90% |
| 6214.20.00.00 | Woven scarves of wool or fine animal hair Woven (not knitted) scarves and shawls of wool or fine animal hair | 6.70% |
| 6214.30.00.00 | Woven scarves of synthetic fibers Woven (not knitted) scarves and shawls of synthetic fibers | 5.30% |
| 6214.90.00.10 | Woven scarves of other textile materials - of cotton Woven scarves of other textile materials, cotton breakout (subheading 6214.90) | 11.30% |
How to Approach Classification for Scarves
Scarves, shawls, mufflers and similar articles are classified in one of two parallel headings, and the deciding factor is the construction of the fabric. A scarf that is knitted or crocheted points toward heading 6117 (other made-up knitted or crocheted clothing accessories), while a woven scarf (or one made of a non-knitted textile) points toward heading 6214 (shawls, scarves, mufflers, mantillas, veils and the like). Establishing knit versus woven is therefore the first and most important step, because it selects the heading before any fiber question is even reached.
Within the knitted heading, 6117.10 gathers scarves and mufflers and then splits by fiber: wool or fine animal hair, man-made fibers (with a breakout for pieces that also contain a significant share of wool), scarves that are predominantly silk, and cotton each point toward their own statistical line. The fiber that governs is generally the one that predominates by weight, so confirming the dominant fiber matters.
The woven heading, 6214, follows the same fiber logic. Silk scarves are split by silk content (70 percent or more silk versus other silk scarves) while wool or fine animal hair, synthetic fibers, and other textile materials such as cotton each point toward their own subheading. Silk scarves sit at the low end of the duty range in both headings, while cotton and some wool-blended lines sit at the higher end.
A practical approach is to confirm the construction first (knitted or crocheted versus woven), then identify the predominant fiber, and finally check any content thresholds the subheading calls for, such as the 70 percent silk cutoff or the 23 percent wool breakout. That sequence usually points toward a single most-appropriate line. It is generally better to work within headings 6117 and 6214 for a scarf than to reach for shaped garments elsewhere in chapters 61 and 62, or for made-up textile articles in chapter 63, which cover different products.
Duty Rate Overview
General duty rates for scarves depend on both construction and fiber, but the pattern is consistent across the two headings. Silk scarves sit at the low end (around 1.2% for woven silk scarves of 70 percent or more silk and around 1.5% for the comparable knitted line) while other silk scarves are around 3.9%. Synthetic-fiber woven scarves sit around 5.3%, wool woven scarves around 6.7%, and knitted wool scarves around 9.6%. Cotton scarves and some wool-blended man-made-fiber lines run at the higher end, around 9.5% to 11.3%. Because the range is wide, confirming the construction and predominant fiber is worthwhile before relying on any single figure. Preferential rates under free trade agreements may reduce or eliminate duties for qualifying origins. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.