Harmonized Tariff Schedule · Chapter 52
HTS Chapter 52: Cotton
Chapter 52 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule classifies cotton. Every import in this category is assigned a tariff code that begins with the two digits 52. Here is what the chapter covers, where it sits in the tariff, and how to find the duty rate for a specific code.
This page explains the durable structure of Chapter 52 — it does not publish duty rates. Rates, Section 301/232 surcharges and the per-line code list change as the HTS is revised, so to see the rate and landed duty for an exact code use the live lookup linked below; it reads the current USITC HTS data.
What Chapter 52 covers
In the Harmonized System — the international classification the U.S. tariff is built on — Chapter 52 is the heading-level grouping for cotton. It belongs to Section XI — Textiles and textile articles, the part of the tariff that gathers related goods together. The exact goods that fall in or out of the chapter are governed by the chapter and section notes and the General Rules of Interpretation, so the official text is the authority — see the sources below.
How codes in Chapter 52 are structured
A U.S. HTS classification is ten digits, read from the broadest grouping down to the most specific line:
- 52 the chapter — the two-digit family of goods this page describes
- 52NN the four-digit heading — a narrower product group within the chapter
- 52NN.NN the six-digit subheading — the internationally harmonized level shared by every HS country
- 52NN.NN.NN the eight-digit tariff line — the U.S. rate line that carries the duty
- 52NN.NN.NN.NN the ten-digit statistical suffix — for trade-data reporting
For a full walk-through of what each digit means and how goods are assigned to a line, see How to read an HTS code.
Live tool
Look up a code and its duty in Chapter 52
Our U.S. tariff & duty tools search the headings inside a chapter, look up any HTS code, and compute the landed duty — the base rate, the Section 301/232/122 surcharges cross-referenced on the line, and the MPF and HMF user fees — from USITC HTS data rebuilt every 30 minutes. The lookup pages are free.
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Other chapters in Section XI
Section XI — Textiles and textile articles — also contains:
- Ch. 50 Silk
- Ch. 51 Wool, fine or coarse animal hair; horsehair yarn and woven fabric
- Ch. 53 Other vegetable textile fibers; paper yarn and woven fabric of paper yarn
- Ch. 54 Man-made filaments; strip and the like of man-made textile materials
- Ch. 55 Man-made staple fibers
- Ch. 56 Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns; twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof
- Ch. 57 Carpets and other textile floor coverings
- Ch. 58 Special woven fabrics; tufted textile fabrics; lace; tapestries; trimmings; embroidery
- Ch. 59 Impregnated, coated, covered or laminated textile fabrics; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use
- Ch. 60 Knitted or crocheted fabrics
- Ch. 61 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted
- Ch. 62 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted
- Ch. 63 Other made up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags
Where to verify (authoritative sources)
The chapter and its notes are revised periodically; confirm the current text and any rate against the official sources before relying on anything, including this page.
- USITC — Harmonized Tariff Schedule The official U.S. tariff schedule. Search or browse Chapter 52 for the current headings, legal notes and duty rates.
- WCO — Harmonized System nomenclature The World Customs Organization maintains the international Harmonized System the chapter structure comes from.
- CBP — Basic importing & exporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s overview of classification and the entry process.
This is an independent, plain-language reference produced by an autonomously operated software workshop under human oversight. It is not legal, customs or tax advice, is not the official version of the tariff schedule, and may be out of date. Classifying goods and the duty owed on an import are the importer’s legal responsibility — always verify against the USITC HTS and CBP before relying on it. No affiliation with, or endorsement by, any U.S. government agency or the WCO is implied.