HS Code for Pajamas and Sleepwear: Classification Guide for Importers

If you import nightwear, the hs code for pajamas and sleepwear is the line your customs entry and duty calculation depend on, and pajamas split first by construction and wearer, not by the word on the retail label. The Harmonized System 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 This guide explains the indicative headings, the tests that move a garment between them, and how to confirm the full national code.

Quick answer: indicative headings 6107 and 6108

For knitted or crocheted pajamas, the wearer group decides the heading. Heading 6107 covers men's or boys' nightshirts, pajamas, bathrobes and similar articles, knitted or crocheted, and its nightshirts and pajamas lines split by fibre at 6107.21 for cotton, 6107.22 for man-made fibers and 6107.29 for other textile materials.² Heading 6108 covers women's or girls' nightdresses, pajamas, negligees and similar articles, knitted or crocheted, and its nightdresses and pajamas lines split at 6108.31 for cotton, 6108.32 for man-made fibers and 6108.39 for other textile materials.²

Woven pajamas sit outside Chapter 61. EU guidance places men's or boys' pyjamas at 6107 21 00 to 6107 29 00 if knitted, or 6207 21 00 to 6207 29 00 if woven, and women's or girls' pyjamas at 6108 31 00 to 6108 39 00 if knitted, or 6208 21 00 to 6208 29 00 if woven.³ Treat 6107 and 6108 as indicative starting points for knitted garments only, and confirm the full national code before you file.

How HS codes are structured

The Harmonised System 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

The diagram below summarises the four levels.

If you are new to the system, read the HS code explainer first, then how to classify your product.

Factors that decide the code for pajamas and sleepwear

Classification follows the wording of the headings and the garment's own attributes. EU guidance on classifying textiles warns that you should check the attributes of the garments, because often a small feature will mean a different code than you may otherwise assume.³

Knitted or crocheted against woven construction. Headings 6107 and 6108 are the knitted or crocheted headings, and the same garment types in woven fabric fall in headings 6207 and 6208.³ A jersey pajama set and a woven cotton pajama set therefore start in different chapters, even when the design, fibre and buyer are identical.

Wearer group. Heading 6107 is the men's or boys' heading and heading 6108 is the women's or girls' heading.² In the United States, the suffixes under the pajama lines then split by wearer: under 6107.21, .10 is men's and .20 is boys', and under 6108.31, .10 is women's and .20 is girls'.²

Whether the garment is pajamas at all. To be classified as pyjamas, EU guidance states the garments must be clearly identifiable as intended exclusively or mainly as nightwear.³ Pyjamas comprise two garments, one for the upper body and one for the lower, of corresponding or compatible size and of matching cut, fabric, colours and finish, in a suitable night fabric with a loose fitting cut and no potentially uncomfortable features such as large or bulky buttons or excessive applied decorations.³

The borderline cases the guidance names. Pyjama trousers presented without an upper garment cannot be classified as nightwear, and sets of knitted garments comprising a pair of shorts and a T-shirt-style upper are not classified as pyjamas.³ Sets known as baby dolls, comprising a very short nightdress and matching briefs, can be classified as pyjamas.³ A garment with a lining, or with features that would make it uncomfortable to wear in bed, cannot be classified as a nightdress.³ One-piece nightwear that envelops each leg separately sits later in the same headings, at 6107 91 to 6107 99 or 6207 91 to 6207 99 for men's or boys', and 6108 91 to 6108 99 or 6208 91 to 6208 99 for women's or girls'.³ In the US schedule, 6107.91.00.30 is the sleepwear suffix within the men's or boys' other cotton line.²

Fibre content. Under the pajama lines, the six-digit subheading follows fibre. For men's or boys' knitted nightshirts and pajamas the lines are 6107.21 for cotton, 6107.22 for man-made fibers and 6107.29 for other textile materials.² For women's or girls' knitted nightdresses and pajamas the lines are 6108.31 for cotton, 6108.32 for man-made fibers and 6108.39 for other textile materials.²

Size and wearer age. Babies' garments are classified under headings 6111 and 6209, and must be intended for infants of a body height not more than 86 centimeters, commercial size 86.³ A set above that size is tested against 6107 or 6108 as a boys' or girls' garment.

Sets and ensembles. Garments of headings 6107, 6108, 6109, 6207 and 6208 cannot be part of an ensemble.³ A pajama set is classified on its own terms.

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

United States: HTS, ten digits. The cotton pajama lines run to 6107.21.00 for men's or boys' and 6108.31.00 for women's or girls', with the statistical suffix splitting men's from boys' and women's from girls'.² The man-made fibers lines run to 6107.22.00 and 6108.32.00, where the boys' and girls' suffixes separate blanket sleepers, at .15, from other garments, at .25.² Read the full line in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) for your exact garment, because the entry is filed on the suffix, not the six-digit subheading.

European Union: CN at eight digits, TARIC for measures. The Combined Nomenclature (CN) integrates the HS and comprises additional eight-digit subdivisions.⁴ EU guidance expresses the pajama lines at that level: men's or boys' pyjamas at 6107 21 00 to 6107 29 00, and women's or girls' pyjamas and nightdresses at 6108 31 00 to 6108 39 00.³ Check the measures on that line in TARIC for the entry date and for origin Bangladesh, because preferential treatment depends on origin rules and proof of origin, not on the code alone.

United Kingdom: commodity code. You use the trade tariff tool to classify to a 10-digit commodity code when importing into the UK, and an 8-digit code when exporting from the UK.⁵ Work from the same six-digit stems above, then confirm the full UK code in the UK Trade Tariff for the import date rather than reusing a US or EU code. Other destinations, including the United Arab Emirates, share the first six digits and set their own lines after them.⁴

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, components, sizes, wearer group, and the features that show the garment is intended mainly as nightwear.

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

3. Check published rulings for similar garments. For the United States, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) advises traders to use the Customs Rulings Online Search Service (CROSS) to research classification, 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, including images or samples if possible.⁷ In the United Kingdom, a legally binding decision is generally valid for 3 years, 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 the confirmed code, and use the same code on the invoice, packing list and declaration.

Common classification mistakes

Filing woven pajamas under 6107 or 6108. Headings 6107 and 6108 cover knitted or crocheted garments only. Woven pyjamas belong at 6207 21 00 to 6207 29 00 for men's or boys' and 6208 21 00 to 6208 29 00 for women's or girls'.³

Filing a shorts and T-shirt set as pajamas. EU guidance states that sets of knitted garments comprising a pair of shorts and a T-shirt-style upper are not classified as pyjamas, however the range is labelled.³

Filing pajama trousers on their own as nightwear. Pyjama trousers presented without an upper garment cannot be classified as nightwear.³ A lone bottom takes the sleepwear or other lines of the heading, not the pajama subheading.

Ignoring the nightwear test. A loose set with large or bulky buttons, heavy decoration or a lining may fail the test of being clearly identifiable as intended mainly as nightwear, even when it is sold in a sleepwear department.³

Copying a code from another product or country. A six-digit match does not mean the national code matches. US suffixes split by wearer and by blanket sleepers, EU lines run to eight digits, and UK import codes run to ten digits.^{2 4 5}

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, packing list and any origin declaration.

FAQs

What is the HS code for pajamas and sleepwear?

There is no single full code for every set. Knitted men's or boys' nightshirts and pajamas point to heading 6107, at 6107.21 for cotton, 6107.22 for man-made fibers and 6107.29 for other textile materials.² Knitted women's or girls' nightdresses and pajamas point to heading 6108, at 6108.31, 6108.32 and 6108.39 on the same fibre split.² Woven pajamas point to headings 6207 and 6208.³

Is the HS code the same in every country?

Only the first six digits are harmonized. Beyond six digits, each country sets its own lines: eight digits in the EU Combined Nomenclature, and ten digits in the US HTS and for imports into the United Kingdom.^{4 5}

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 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

Read how to import pajamas and sleepwear from Bangladesh for the steps that follow classification, and use the pajamas and sleepwear quality control checklist to check a set before it ships. Browse Bangladeshi suppliers whose range matches your specification.