Heading 5803

Gauze, other than narrow fabrics of heading 5806

7 declarable lines

Heading 5803 covers gauze: a lightweight, open-weave fabric made of crossing warp threads, sold in the piece rather than as narrow strips. The heading is split first by fiber: cotton, wool or fine animal hair, vegetable fibers, man-made fibers, and other textile materials. Within wool there is a further split by weight and use, and within other materials by silk content.

Products in this heading

Cotton gauze fabric in the piece for bandages and dressings
Absorbent cotton gauze sold by the roll to medical converters
Fine silk gauze fabric used for filtration or garment interlining
Man-made fiber gauze fabric for industrial wiping or backing
Linen or other vegetable fiber gauze fabric
Wool gauze upholstery fabric under 140 g/m2
Bleached cotton gauze for cheesecloth or culinary use

How to choose the right subheading

Fiber content: cotton, wool or fine animal hair, vegetable fibers, man-made fibers, or other.
Construction: confirm the fabric is a true gauze (open, crossed warp) and not a pile, terry or embroidered fabric.
Width: goods of 30 cm or less are narrow fabrics and fall outside this heading.
For wool gauze, weight and end use: tapestry or upholstery fabric at 140 g/m2 or less, versus other.
For other textile materials, the share of silk or silk waste by weight (85% threshold).

Often confused with

Gauze ribbon or gauze tape cut to a width of 30 cm or less
Narrow woven fabrics are excluded from gauze by the heading text.
Heading 5806
Medicated gauze bandages put up for retail sale
Waddings, gauze and bandages with a medical coating or retail packing go to chapter 30.
Heading 3005
Gauze that has been embroidered in the piece
Embroidery in the piece is classified in its own heading.
Heading 5810
Woven pile or chenille fabric with a raised surface
Pile and chenille fabrics are a separate heading from gauze.
Heading 5801

Frequently asked questions

What is the HTS code for cotton gauze fabric?

Cotton gauze in the piece is classified under 5803.00.10.00, with a general (MFN) rate of Free.

What is the duty on wool gauze fabric?

Wool gauze classifies under 5803.00.30.00 at a general (MFN) rate of 16.5%. If it is tapestry or upholstery fabric weighing 140 g/m2 or less, it goes under 5803.00.20.00 at 7%.

How do I classify gauze of man-made fibers?

Man-made fiber gauze falls under 5803.00.50.00, which carries a general (MFN) rate of Free. Gauze of other textile materials not covered elsewhere goes under 5803.00.90.90, also Free.

Guide written from the official schedule text. Rates quoted are general (MFN) rates; check the line page for trade agreement rates and the classification of your exact product.