HS Code for Sweaters: Classification Guide for Importers

If you import pullovers, cardigans or waistcoats from Bangladesh, the hs code for sweaters is the line your customs entry turns on. The Harmonized System is a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO), comprising more than 5,000 commodity groups, each identified by a six-digit code, and used by more than 200 countries and economies as a basis for their customs tariffs.¹ This guide covers classification only.

In this guide, a sweater means a knitted or crocheted garment covering the upper part of the body: a pullover, a cardigan with a full front opening, a waistcoat, or a similar article. A woven garment that only looks knitted is not a sweater for tariff purposes. A hooded fleece sweatshirt is a different style inside the same heading, covered in the hoodies and sweatshirts guide.

Quick answer: indicative HS heading (with verify note)

The indicative heading for sweaters 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."² The heading text used in the UK and EU tariffs reads "Jerseys, pullovers, cardigans, waistcoats and similar articles, knitted or crocheted."^{3 4} The wording differs between schedules, but the heading number is the same.

Treat 6110 as indicative until confirmed for your exact garment: the heading covers only knitted or crocheted articles, and the full 8- to 10-digit national code must be read from the importing country's tariff before you file.

How HS codes are structured (2-4-6 digits)

The Harmonised System runs from sections to chapters at two digits, headings at four digits and sub-headings at six digits, with approximately 5,000 six-digit product categories.⁵ The current version is HS 2022.⁵

The diagram below shows the four levels.

Countries use the HS as the basis for their customs tariffs and then subdivide the six-digit categories; the Combined Nomenclature of the European Union uses eight-digit codes.⁵ Two shipments can therefore share 6110.20 and still need different full codes.

Factors that decide the code for sweaters

Check these factors in order.

Knitted or crocheted construction comes first. Chapter 61 applies only to made up knitted or crocheted articles.² GOV.UK states the same split: Chapter 61 for knitted or crocheted fabric, Chapter 62 for woven or non-woven fabrics.⁶ A woven "knit-look" pullover leaves Chapter 61 altogether. Crochet counts the same way as knitting, because the heading text covers articles "knitted or crocheted."²

Garment type: pullover, cardigan or waistcoat. The European Commission guidance classifies jerseys and pullovers under heading 6110 when they are knitted or crocheted garments covering the upper part of the body, and includes waistcoats and cardigans with a full front opening, and pullovers with no opening or a partial neckline opening.⁷ GOV.UK adds the usual welts or ribbing at the bottom, opening, sleeve-ends or armholes.⁶ A cardigan is therefore inside 6110, not a jacket heading, even though it opens at the front.

Fibre decides the six-digit line, and blends follow weight. The subheading follows fibre: 6110.11, 6110.12 and 6110.19 for wool or fine animal hair, 6110.20 for cotton, 6110.30 for man-made fibres and 6110.90 for other textile materials.² For a blend, record the tested composition in percentages by weight. Section XI note 2 classifies a mixture as the material that predominates by weight, or, when none predominates, as the material covered by the heading occurring last in numerical order.⁸ A 60 percent acrylic and 40 percent wool crew-neck therefore sits on 6110.30; a 55 percent cotton and 45 percent polyester pullover sits on 6110.20.

Stitch count and fine knit change the national line. Two different stitch tests apply at different levels. In the United States, statistical note 3 to Chapter 61 covers sweater provisions for garments with 9 or fewer stitches per 2 centimeters on the outer surface, and for garments known as sweaters where those stitches cannot be counted, which covers open-work crochet.² In the EU and UK, lightweight fine knit roll, polo or turtleneck jumpers and pullovers have their own lines at 6110 20 10 for cotton and 6110 30 10 for man-made fibres, and fine knit means at least 12 stitches per centimeter in both directions, in single jersey, lightweight and close fitting.^{7 6} A chunky cable-knit pullover and a fine-knit turtleneck can therefore share 6110.20 at six digits and still take different national lines.

Length, age and coating are boundary tests. The heading does not include longer pullover-like garments, which are generally classified as dresses.⁷ Chapter 61 note 6 defines babies' garments as articles for young children of a body height not exceeding 86 centimeters, and articles classifiable both in heading 6111 and in other headings are classified in heading 6111.² Knitted or crocheted fabrics with a visible non-cellular coating on one surface are classified under heading 6113.⁶

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

United States: HTS, ten digits. For wool, a men's sweater takes 6110.11.0015, from the 6110.11.00 line with statistical suffix 15, while a women's sweater takes 6110.11.0030.² For cotton, the "other" line is 6110.20.20, with men's and women's sweaters at 6110.20.2010 and 6110.20.2020; for man-made fibres, the "other" line is 6110.30.30, with sweaters at 6110.30.3010 and 6110.30.3020.² Detail lines matter too: cotton containing 36 percent or more by weight of flax fibres sits on 6110.20.10, and cashmere wholly of cashmere sits on 6110.12.10.² The wearer split follows the Chapter 61 note 9 closure rule.²

European Union: CN at eight digits, TARIC for measures. The Combined Nomenclature uses eight-digit codes.⁵ On the EU tariff, wool jerseys and pullovers with at least 50 percent wool and 600 g or more per article sit at 6110 11 10; other men's or boys' wool garments sit at 6110 11 30 and women's or girls' at 6110 11 90.⁴ For cotton, lightweight fine knit garments sit at 6110 20 10, other men's or boys' garments at 6110 20 91 and women's or girls' at 6110 20 99, with the same pattern for man-made fibres.⁴ The ten-digit TARIC code adds a further pair of digits, shown as 6110 1110 00, and the measures on that line must be checked for the entry date.⁴

United Kingdom: commodity code. On the UK tariff, the wool lines run to 6110 1110 00, 6110 1130 00 and 6110 1190 00, and the cotton lines to 6110 2010 00, 6110 2091 00 and 6110 2099 00, with the same pattern under man-made fibres.³ The UK lines look like the EU lines for this heading, but they are UK codes: confirm the full code on the import date, rather than reusing an EU or US code.

How to confirm the code officially

1. Write a precise description: construction, fibre percentages by weight, garment type, neckline, stitch count, wearer group, weight per article for wool lines, and any coating.

2. Start from the official tariff for the destination: the USITC HTS, TARIC or the UK Trade Tariff, and read the heading text and chapter notes.

3. Check published rulings for similar garments. For the United States, the USITC advises traders to use the Customs Rulings Online Search Service (CROSS), because the correct classification of many items can be found there.⁹

4. For a borderline garment, apply for a binding decision before you ship: an EU BTI needs a separate application per product type with a detailed description,¹⁰ a UK Advance Tariff Ruling is generally valid for 3 years,¹¹ and in the United States you may request a CBP binding ruling if no CROSS ruling covers the merchandise.⁹

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

Common classification mistakes

Filing a woven pullover under 6110. Chapter 61 applies only to made up knitted or crocheted articles.² A woven garment belongs in Chapter 62.

Filing every knit upper-body garment as a sweater. A lightweight knitted blouse of fancy design can stay in heading 6106, and a T-shirt without tightening at the bottom sits in heading 6109.⁶ Headings 6105 and 6106 exclude garments averaging less than 10 stitches per linear centimeter in each direction, which is one reason a chunky knit garment moves toward 6110.²

Guessing the fibre line for a blend. A mixture is classified as the material that predominates by weight.⁸ A polyester-predominant cardigan filed on the cotton line takes the wrong six-digit line.

Ignoring the stitch-count and fine-knit lines. A chunky pullover and a fine-knit turtleneck share 6110.20 at six digits but take different EU and UK lines: 6110 20 10 for fine knit against 6110 20 91 or 6110 20 99 for other garments.⁴ US sweater suffixes turn on the 9-stitches-per-2-centimeters test.²

Filing a child's sweater or a long pullover without the boundary tests. Children's articles for a body height not exceeding 86 centimeters that are classifiable both in heading 6111 and in other headings are classified in heading 6111.² Pullover-like garments that are longer are generally classified as dresses.⁷

Copying a code from another country. The EU extends the six digits to eight,⁵ and the United States and the United Kingdom split the 6110 lines further at ten digits.^{2 3} A six-digit match does not mean the national code also matches.

Related duties and documents

This guide states no duty rates: the code decides which duty line and measures customs applies. Read the rate beside your confirmed code for your origin and entry date, and check what proof of origin a preference claim requires. Keep the style description, fibre composition, confirmed codes, any binding decision and origin evidence in the shipment file, with each style as a separate invoice line. A binding decision taken in advance helps you calculate the duties and restrictions that will apply.¹¹

FAQs

What is the HS code for sweaters?

The indicative heading is 6110, for sweaters, pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats and similar articles, knitted or crocheted.² The six-digit line follows fibre: 6110.11 wool, 6110.12 cashmere, 6110.20 cotton, 6110.30 man-made fibres, 6110.90 other materials.²

Is the HS code the same in every country?

Only the first six digits are harmonised. Beyond six digits, each country adds its own lines: eight digits in the EU Combined Nomenclature,⁵ and ten in the United States and the United Kingdom.^{2 3}

How do I confirm the correct code?

Describe each garment precisely, read the destination tariff's heading text and chapter notes, and check published rulings such as CROSS.⁹ For a borderline garment, apply for a binding decision before shipping: a BTI,¹⁰ an Advance Tariff Ruling,¹¹ or a CBP binding ruling.⁹

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 brings the wrong treatment. Taking a binding decision in advance helps you calculate the duties and restrictions that will apply.¹¹

Next steps on Exportain

Browse Bangladeshi suppliers on Exportain, and read the HS code explainer and how to classify your product before confirming codes with your broker. Exportain is not a party to the goods contract and does not inspect goods, book freight or clear customs.