HS Code for Trading Cards

Printed trading cards are a form of printed matter, so they point toward heading 4911 of the HTSUS: the residual heading for other printed matter, including printed pictures, designs and photographs. Cards printed with pictures or images generally point toward subheading 4911.91 (printed pictures), where the lines split by attributes such as the printing process (for example a lithographic process) and the thickness of the card, with a dedicated line for printed pictures over 0.51 mm thick that is close to typical card stock. Other printed items point toward the residual subheading 4911.99. All of the featured lines carry a general rate of Free, so the classification question is choosing the right line rather than the duty. Confirming that the card is printed matter, and how it is printed and how thick it is, is the first step in exploring the most appropriate line.

Trading cards are, for tariff purposes, printed matter, so the starting point is chapter 49 (printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry) rather than a toy or game heading. Within chapter 49, heading 4911 is the residual provision for other printed matter (the printed pictures, designs, photographs and similar items that are not books, newspapers, maps or the other specifically named printed products), and printed cards bearing images generally fall here.

Within heading 4911 the first branch is whether the item is a printed picture. Printed pictures, designs and photographs point toward subheading 4911.91, which is the most natural home for cards printed with images. Other printed matter that is not a printed picture points toward the residual subheading 4911.99.

Inside 4911.91 the lines split by several physical attributes rather than by subject matter. Relevant distinctions include how the picture was printed (for example by a lithographic process), and the thickness of the printed article, with a dedicated line for printed pictures over 0.51 mm in thickness that is close to the heavier card stock used for many trading cards. There are also lines defined by other criteria, such as pictures printed more than 20 years before importation and pictures suitable for use in producing books of heading 4901, plus poster breakouts within the lithographic and 'other' picture lines. So the printing method and the thickness of the card are worth measuring and confirming, as they point toward different lines within the same subheading.

A practical way to approach it is to confirm first that the card is printed matter (which keeps it in heading 4911), then decide whether it is a printed picture (4911.91) or other printed matter (4911.99), and then check the printing process and thickness to reach the specific line. That sequence points toward a single most-appropriate line to explore. It is generally better to stay within heading 4911 than to reach for the games heading 9504 (which covers playing cards and game components) or toy headings; a collectible printed card is printed matter, distinct from a deck of playing cards or a boxed game.

General duty rates here are straightforward: all of the featured lines in heading 4911 carry a general rate of Free. That covers the printed-picture lines in subheading 4911.91 (including the lithographic and 'other' picture lines, the over-0.51 mm thickness line, and the poster breakouts) as well as the residual printed-matter lines in subheading 4911.99. Because these lines are duty-free, the reason to identify the right line is arriving at a better classification suggestion rather than any change in estimated duty. Preferential programs would not lower a rate that is already Free. These figures are estimates for general planning purposes only.