HS Code for Hoodies and Sweatshirts: Classification Guide for Importers

If you import knitted hoodies or sweatshirts, the hs code for hoodies and sweatshirts is the line your customs entry and duty calculation depend on. The Harmonized System behind that code is a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO), used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for their customs tariffs and trade statistics.¹ Hoodies and sweatshirts point to one indicative heading, and fibre decides the subheading.

Quick answer: indicative heading 6110

The indicative heading for knitted or crocheted hoodies and sweatshirts is 6110. In the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), published by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), heading 6110 covers "Sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats (vests) and similar articles, knitted or crocheted," so sweatshirts are named in the heading text itself.² The international heading text used in the UK Trade Tariff is "Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles, knitted or crocheted."³

The fibre lines under heading 6110 are .11 for wool, .12 for Kashmir (cashmere) goats, .19 for other wool or fine animal hair, .20 for cotton, .30 for man-made fibres and .90 for other textile materials, so a knitted cotton hoodie points to 6110.20 and a knitted polyester sweatshirt points to 6110.30.^{2 3}

Treat heading 6110 as indicative until verified for your exact garment. It covers only knitted or crocheted garments; a woven hoodie-style garment belongs in Chapter 62. Confirm the full 8- to 10-digit national code with your customs broker or through a binding ruling before you file.

How HS codes are structured

The HS is a comprehensive classification system of approximately 5,000 six-digit product categories organised in a hierarchical structure by sections, chapters at two digits, headings at four digits and sub-headings at six digits.⁴ Countries then add their own digits for duty rates, statistics and controls, and the EU Combined Nomenclature uses eight-digit codes.⁴

Chapter matters because Chapter 61 applies only to made up knitted or crocheted articles, so construction decides the chapter before styling is considered.² If you are new to the system, read the HS code explainer first, then how to classify your product.

The diagram below summarises the four levels, from the two-digit chapter to the national code you file at destination.

Two shipments can share 6110.20 and still need different full codes: the first six digits travel with the goods, and the rest belong to the importing country.

Factors that decide the code for hoodies and sweatshirts

Classification follows the wording of the headings and chapter notes, not the name a retailer gives the garment. Check these factors in order.

Knitted or crocheted construction. Heading 6110 requires a knitted or crocheted garment, and Chapter 61 applies only to made up knitted or crocheted articles.² Access2Markets gives the same test: jerseys and pullovers are classified under 6110 if they are knitted or crocheted garments intended to cover the upper part of the body.⁵ Confirm construction from the supplier specification, not a photograph.

Garment type: sweatshirt, jersey or pullover. Access2Markets states that heading 6110 includes garments pulled over the head, such as a sweatshirt, having neither an opening at the neckline nor a fastening system, and garments with a partial neckline opening closed by buttons or other fastening.⁵ The US HTS lists sweatshirts as a named statistical category under the cotton and man-made fibre lines of 6110.²

The hood and drawstring do not change the heading. A hood is a neckline feature, not a separate garment type. Access2Markets notes that heading 6109, the T-shirt heading, does not cover garments with hoods, which is one reason a hooded sweatshirt is tested against 6110 rather than 6109.⁵ A drawstring points the same way: Chapter 61 note 5 states that heading 6109 does not cover garments with a drawstring, ribbed waistband or other tightening at the bottom, while 6110 garments generally have welts or ribbing, or other tightening, at the bottom, the opening, the sleeve-ends or armholes.^{2 5} A kangaroo pocket also stays inside the heading, because 6110 garments may have pockets.⁵

Fibre content. The subheading follows fibre: .11, .12 and .19 for wool or fine animal hair, .20 for cotton, .30 for man-made fibres and .90 for other textile materials.^{2 3} For a blend, record the tested composition in percentages by weight. A garment described only as a cotton blend cannot be placed on the cotton line with confidence.

Exclusions and the woven alternative. Heading 6110 does not include women's or girls' blouses, anoraks, windcheaters, wind jackets and similar articles, or longer pullover-like garments generally classified as dresses.⁵ A hooded garment built as a lined, weather-protective outer garment with a full front opening is tested against the overcoat and anorak headings, not 6110. A woven hoodie leaves Chapter 61 altogether and is classified in Chapter 62 under the heading that matches its construction and function, in the same way that shirts fall under 6105 if knitted or crocheted, or 6205 if not.⁵

National codes: US HTS, EU CN and TARIC, UK commodity code

United States: HTS, ten digits. The eight-digit rate lines include 6110.20.10 and 6110.20.20 for cotton and 6110.30.30 for other man-made fibre garments, and two statistical digits complete the ten-digit code, with sweatshirts broken out by wearer group in the statistical suffixes.² Never copy a ten-digit code from an invoice without checking the current HTS revision.

European Union: CN at eight digits, TARIC for measures. The Combined Nomenclature (CN) integrates the HS and adds eight-digit subdivisions, so a line that starts as 6110.20 or 6110.30 runs to eight digits in the CN.⁴ Under the cotton line, the split separates lightweight fine knit garments, at 61102010, from other men's or boys' and women's or girls' garments.³ For an actual import, check the measures on that line in TARIC for the entry date and origin Bangladesh, because preferential treatment depends on origin rules and proof of origin, not the code alone.

United Kingdom: commodity code. The UK requires the full commodity code in the UK Trade Tariff. On the tariff page for heading 6110, the cotton line runs to 6110209100 for men's or boys' garments and 6110209900 for women's or girls' garments, with the same pattern under man-made fibres.³ Confirm the full code and measures for goods from Bangladesh on the import date, rather than reusing an EU or US code.

Other destinations, including the UAE. Every HS destination shares the first six digits and sets its own lines after them. Confirm the full code in the destination tariff, or through your broker, before goods leave Bangladesh.

How to confirm the code officially

Use this sequence for each style, and keep the evidence with the shipment file.

1. Write a precise description: construction, fibre percentages by weight, hood and drawstring, neckline and any opening, sleeves, hem and cuff finish, pockets and wearer group.

2. Start from the official tariff for the destination: the USITC HTS, TARIC or the UK Trade Tariff. Read the heading text and chapter notes, not only the search result line.

3. Check published rulings for similar garments. For the United States, the USITC advises traders to research classification in the Customs Rulings Online Search Service (CROSS), where the correct classification of many items can be found.⁶

4. For a borderline garment, apply for a binding decision before you ship. In the EU, a Binding Tariff Information (BTI) decision needs a separate application for each type of product and a detailed description.⁷ In the United Kingdom, a legally binding decision is generally valid for 3 years and gives the correct commodity code through an Advance Tariff Ruling.⁸ In the United States, request a binding ruling from U.S. Customs and Border Protection when no CROSS ruling covers the merchandise.⁶

5. Give your broker the description and confirmed code, and use the same code on the invoice, packing list and declaration.

Browse suppliers by category and align fibre content and construction before ordering samples, so classification stays stable across suppliers.

Common classification mistakes

Putting a hoodie under the T-shirt heading 6109. A T-shirt has no hood, and heading 6109 does not cover garments with a drawstring or tightening at the bottom.^{2 5} A hooded, fleece-lined sweatshirt is tested against 6110.

Treating the hood as an outerwear feature. A hood alone does not make a sweatshirt an anorak. Anoraks, windcheaters and wind jackets sit outside 6110 because of their weather-protective construction, lining and full front opening, not because they have a hood.⁵

Ignoring the woven alternative. A woven hoodie-style garment does not belong in Chapter 61, because that chapter covers only knitted or crocheted articles.² Test it in Chapter 62 instead.

Guessing the fibre line for a blend. Cotton and man-made fibre garments sit on different subheadings, .20 and .30.² Use the tested composition, not the marketing name of the fabric.

Copying a code from another product or country. A six-digit match does not mean the national code or duty measure also matches. The UK cotton lines split by wearer group at ten digits, while the US lines split by fibre detail and statistical category.^{2 3} Tariffs are also revised, so recheck the code when the tariff edition, specification or destination changes.

Related duties and documents

The code decides which duty line and measures customs applies, but this guide states no duty rate. Rates and preferences depend on destination, origin, tariff edition and entry date, and they change. Read the rate beside the confirmed code in the official tariff for your entry date, and check whether preferential treatment for Bangladesh is available and what proof of origin it requires. Keep the same code on the commercial invoice, the packing list and any origin declaration. See the Bangladesh export data overview for wider trade context.

FAQs

What is the HS code for hoodies and sweatshirts?

There is no single full code for every hoodie or sweatshirt. The indicative heading is 6110, with sweatshirts named in the US heading text.^{2 3} The subheading is set by fibre: 6110.20 for cotton, 6110.30 for man-made fibres and 6110.90 for other textile materials.² Extend the stem to the full national code and verify it for your exact garment before use.

Is the HS code the same in every country?

Only the first six digits are harmonized. Countries build their national tariffs on the six-digit HS structure.⁴ Beyond six digits, each country sets its own lines: eight digits in the EU Combined Nomenclature, and ten digits in the US HTS and UK commodity code.

How do I confirm the correct code?

Describe the garment precisely, look the code up in the destination tariff, and read the heading text and chapter notes. Check published rulings, such as CROSS for the United States.⁶ For a borderline garment, apply for a binding decision before shipping: a BTI in the EU,⁷ an Advance Tariff Ruling in the United Kingdom,⁸ or a binding ruling from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.⁶

What happens if I use the wrong code?

Duty, licensing and quota treatment are worked out from the code on the declaration, so a wrong code means those treatments come from the wrong line. GOV.UK notes that a binding decision helps calculate customs duties, licensing requirements, quotas and other restrictions in advance.⁸

Next steps on Exportain

Browse Bangladeshi suppliers whose range matches your specification, and read how to import from Bangladesh for the steps around ordering and shipping. Use the find suppliers in Bangladesh guide to shortlist suppliers, and confirm the full national code before the first order ships.