59 Textile fabrics; impregnated, coated, covered or laminated; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use
The broadest level of the Harmonized System. Pick the heading below that fits your goods, then the six-digit code under it — that last one is what you declare.
Section XI, Textiles & Apparel — silk, wool, cotton, man-made fibres, fabrics, carpets and clothing.
- 59 Chapter Textile fabrics; impregnated, coated, covered or laminated; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use
- —— Heading Pick one of the 11 headings below
- —— Subheading Six digits, the level every country shares
Chapter 59 covers textile fabrics; impregnated, coated, covered or laminated; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use: conveyor belting, coated canvas, tarpaulins and similar technical textiles. Classification tip: The coating material (rubber, plastic) and the intended industrial use both affect the subheading, so a coated fabric destined for tents versus conveyor belts may not share the same code even if the base fabric is identical.
11 headings in chapter 59
Four-digit groups. Pick the one that fits, then the six-digit code inside it.
- 59.01 Textile fabrics, gum or amylaceous substance coated, used for outer book covers and like; tracing cloth, prepared painting canvas; buckram and similar stiffened textile fabrics used for hat foundation 2 codes
- 59.02 Textile fabrics; tyrecord of high tenacity yarn of nylon or other polyamides polyesters or viscose rayon 3 codes
- 59.03 Textile fabrics impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with plastics, other than those of heading no. 5902 3 codes
- 59.04 Linoleum, whether or not cut to shape; floor coverings consisting of a coating or covering applied on a textile backing, whether or not cut to shape 2 codes
- 59.05 Textile wall coverings 1 code
- 59.06 Textile fabrics, rubberised; other than those of heading no. 5902 3 codes
- 59.07 Textile fabrics; otherwise impregnated, coated or covered; painted canvas being theatrical scenery, studio back-cloths or the like 1 code
- 59.08 Textile wicks, woven, plaited or knitted; for lamps, stoves, lighters, candles or the like; incandescent gas mantles and tubular knitted gas mantle fabric therefor, whether or not impregnated 1 code
- 59.09 Textile hose piping and similar textile tubing; with or without lining, armour or accessories of other materials 1 code
- 59.10 Textiles; transmission or conveyor belts or belting, of textile material, whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with plastics, or reinforced with metal or other material 1 code
- 59.11 Textile products and articles for technical uses; specified in note 7 to this chapter 6 codes
Other chapters in Section XI
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 from chapter 59? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipmentChapter 59 FAQ
Chapter 59 covers textile fabrics; impregnated, coated, covered or laminated; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use: conveyor belting, coated canvas, tarpaulins and similar technical textiles. Classification tip: The coating material (rubber, plastic) and the intended industrial use both affect the subheading, so a coated fabric destined for tents versus conveyor belts may not share the same code even if the base fabric is identical.
Pick the heading below that describes the goods, then the six-digit subheading under it. Six digits is the level the Harmonized System defines and the level customs everywhere recognises; anything beyond that is added by the importing country.
The General Rules of Interpretation, read together with the notes to Section XI and to chapter 59. 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.