HS Code for Stainless Steel

Stainless steel mill products are classified in chapter 72 of the HTSUS, where a family of headings separates them by physical form rather than by grade of steel. Wide flat-rolled stainless (600 mm or wider) points toward heading 7219, narrow flat-rolled strip (under 600 mm) toward heading 7220, bars and rods toward headings 7221 and 7222, and stainless wire toward heading 7223. Within each, further factors such as cold-rolled versus hot-rolled, thickness, width and cross-section drive the subheading. Across these representative lines the general rate of duty is Free. Finished articles made of stainless steel (tableware, fasteners, tubes and the like) fall outside chapter 72 and point toward chapter 73 instead.

Stainless steel in its mill forms sits in chapter 72 of the HTSUS, which covers iron and steel. The chapter is organized by the shape of the product rather than by the specific stainless grade, so the physical form is the starting point. Flat-rolled products, bars and rods, and wire each have their own dedicated headings within the stainless group.

The primary branch is form. Flat-rolled stainless steel of a width of 600 mm or more points toward heading 7219, while flat-rolled stainless of a width under 600 mm points toward heading 7220. Stainless bars and rods hot-rolled in irregularly wound coils point toward heading 7221, while other stainless bars and rods (including cold-formed or cold-finished bar) point toward heading 7222. Stainless steel wire points toward heading 7223. Confirming whether the product is a sheet or coil, a bar or rod, or a wire is the clearest first step.

Within each form, secondary factors refine the subheading. For flat-rolled products, whether the material is hot-rolled or cold-rolled (cold-reduced) and its thickness both matter; the featured wide-coil line, for example, is cold-rolled and in the 1 mm to 3 mm band. For narrow strip, the cold-rolled distinction again applies. For bars and rods, cold-forming versus hot-rolling separates headings 7221 and 7222, and for wire the cross-section governs the statistical line. These are dimensional facts about the product, so the mill certificate or spec sheet is usually the best reference.

A practical approach is to identify the form first (flat-rolled, bar/rod, or wire), then the working method (hot-rolled versus cold-rolled or cold-formed), then the dimensions (width, thickness or cross-section). That sequence usually points toward a single most-appropriate heading and subheading to explore. The most important boundary to keep in mind is between semi-finished mill products and finished goods: a stainless steel article such as tableware, a sink, a fastener, or tube and pipe is not classified in chapter 72 but points toward chapter 73 (articles of iron or steel) or another chapter for the specific article.

The representative stainless steel mill products shown here (wide and narrow flat-rolled, cold-formed bars and rods, and round wire) all carry a general rate of duty of Free across headings 7219, 7220, 7222 and 7223. Because the general (MFN) rate is already Free on these lines, identifying the right heading is mainly about better classification and statistical reporting by form and dimension rather than a change in estimated duty. Note that this page reflects the base general rate only; separate trade-remedy measures such as Section 232 steel actions or antidumping and countervailing duties can apply to stainless steel from certain origins and are not part of the general rate shown here, so origin-specific overlays are worth reviewing separately. Preferential rates under free trade agreements would not reduce an already-free general rate. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.