3905.30 Poly(vinyl alcohol); whether or not containing unhydrolysed acetate groups
A full HS code. These six digits are what goes on a customs declaration, and they mean the same thing in every country that uses the Harmonized System.
Section VII, Plastics & Rubber — plastics, rubber and articles made of them, from raw polymers to tyres.
- 39 Chapter Plastics and articles thereof
- 05 Heading Polymers of vinyl acetate or of other vinyl esters, in primary forms; other vinyl polymers in primary forms
- 30 Subheading Poly(vinyl alcohol); whether or not containing unhydrolysed acetate groups
Chapter 39 covers plastics and articles thereof: from raw polymer resins and granules through finished plastic goods like packaging, sheets, tubes and molded parts. Whether a product is a primary form (pellets, granules) or a finished article changes both the subheading and often the applicable duty rate. Classification tip: The specific polymer type (PET, PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene) determines the subheading for primary-form plastics, so identify the resin, not just 'plastic', before classifying raw material shipments.
All of chapter 39Other codes under 39.05
The wording above is the Harmonized System nomenclature as published by the World Customs Organization, HS 2022 edition. It is a classification reference, not a tariff: it carries no duty rates, and it stops at six digits — the importing country adds its own beyond that.
Classification is decided by the General Rules of Interpretation and the section and chapter notes, and it is the importing country’s customs authority that makes it binding.
Shipping goods under 3905.30? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipment3905.30 FAQ
3905.30 covers poly(vinyl alcohol); whether or not containing unhydrolysed acetate groups. It sits under heading 39.05 (polymers of vinyl acetate or of other vinyl esters, in primary forms; other vinyl polymers in primary forms) in chapter 39, Section VII of the Harmonized System.
It is the international part of it. Six digits are the same in every country that applies the Harmonized System; the importing country then extends them to eight or ten for its own tariff and statistics. Declare 3905.30 plus whatever national digits the destination’s tariff schedule adds to it.
The General Rules of Interpretation, read together with the notes to Section VII and to chapter 39. A description that reads right is not enough on its own — the notes routinely pull goods out of the chapter they obviously belong to and put them somewhere else. Where duty or licensing turns on the answer, ask the importing country’s customs authority for a binding ruling.
A wrong or missing code is one of the common reasons customs holds a container, and a hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving. Watch for it in the container tracking app, on the air waybill in the air cargo tracker, or through the tracking API.