4706.20 Pulp; of fibres derived from recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard
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 X, Pulp, Paper & Print — wood pulp, paper, paperboard, printed books and newspapers.
- 47 Chapter Pulp of wood or other fibrous cellulosic material; recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard
- 06 Heading Pulps of fibres derived from recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard or of other fibrous cellulosic material
- 20 Subheading Pulp; of fibres derived from recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard
Chapter 47 covers pulp of wood or other fibrous cellulosic material; recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard: the raw feedstock for the paper industry covered in finished form under chapter 48. Classification tip: Chemical versus mechanical wood pulp are classified separately, and recovered/recycled paper for repulping has its own subheading distinct from virgin pulp, which matters for countries with recycled-content import incentives.
All of chapter 47Other codes under 47.06
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 4706.20? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipment4706.20 FAQ
4706.20 covers pulp; of fibres derived from recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard. It sits under heading 47.06 (pulps of fibres derived from recovered (waste and scrap) paper or paperboard or of other fibrous cellulosic material) in chapter 47, Section X 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 4706.20 plus whatever national digits the destination’s tariff schedule adds to it.
The General Rules of Interpretation, read together with the notes to Section X and to chapter 47. 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.