5911.31 Textiles; fabrics and felts, endless or fitted with linking devices, of a kind used in paper-making or similar machines, weighing less than 650g/m2
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 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
- 11 Heading Textile products and articles for technical uses; specified in note 7 to this chapter
- 31 Subheading Textiles; fabrics and felts, endless or fitted with linking devices, of a kind used in paper-making or similar machines, weighing less than 650g/m2
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.
All of chapter 59Other codes under 59.11
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 5911.31? A customs hold shows up as a milestone that stops moving — follow the container or the air waybill from departure to delivery.
Track a shipment5911.31 FAQ
5911.31 covers textiles; fabrics and felts, endless or fitted with linking devices, of a kind used in paper-making or similar machines, weighing less than 650g/m2. It sits under heading 59.11 (textile products and articles for technical uses; specified in note 7 to this chapter) in chapter 59, Section XI 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 5911.31 plus whatever national digits the destination’s tariff schedule adds to it.
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.