HTS Chapter 39: Plastics and articles thereof
HTS Chapter 39 covers Plastics and articles thereof. Browse 24 published headings, then narrow to the active product line that matches the goods.
2026 HTS Rev 19 Synced Rules verified Operational
Written to help non-specialists understand this page. Rates, dates, and legal facts come from the official records above and on the linked source.
HTS Chapter 39 covers plastics and certain related materials. Many headings identify polymers by their chemical family—such as ethylene, propylene, styrene, vinyl chloride, acrylic polymers, polyamides, and polyurethanes—when presented in “primary forms,” such as powders, granules, flakes, liquids, pastes, or similar manufacturing inputs. The chapter also includes selected natural or modified polymers, plastic waste and scrap, and certain plastic monofilament, rods, sticks, and profile shapes.
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) is organized in levels: a chapter identifies a broad product area, a heading provides a four-digit category, a subheading adds detail at six digits, and the complete U.S. classification generally uses a 10-digit statistical number. Start with the product’s actual material and physical form, then compare the relevant heading and subheading texts, including section and chapter notes. Finished articles made from plastic may instead be classified in other chapters or headings based on the article’s type, function, or specific provisions, so Chapter 39 is not automatically correct just because a product contains plastic.
What to check
- Identify the polymer or material precisely, including whether it is a blend, chemically modified, filled, reinforced, or combined with other substances.
- Determine the product’s condition and form—primary material, waste or scrap, monofilament, profile shape, component, or finished article—and do not classify by intended use alone.
- Read the applicable Section Notes, Chapter 39 notes, heading text, and subheading notes for definitions, exclusions, and special classification rules.
- Check whether another heading specifically describes the finished product or whether an exclusion directs it outside Chapter 39; obtain broker or ruling support when the facts are uncertain.
- Review the current U.S. HTS entry and any applicable Chapter 99 provisions, trade remedies, origin rules, and documentation requirements before importation.
How to use this chapter
A chapter is the first classification level, not a duty rate. Choose the heading that describes the product, narrow by material, construction, use, or other legal distinctions, and verify the final line against the official HTS notes.
Heading list
| HTS code | Description | Linked 8-digit entries |
|---|---|---|
| 3901 | Polymers of ethylene, in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3902 | Polymers of propylene or of other olefins, in primary forms: | 1 |
| 3903 | Polymers of styrene, in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3904 | Polymers of vinyl chloride or of other halogenated olefins, in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3905 | Polymers of vinyl acetate or of other vinyl esters, in primary forms; other vinyl polymers in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3906 | Acrylic polymers in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3907 | Polyacetals, other polyethers and epoxide resins, in primary forms; polycarbonates, alkyd resins, polyallyl esters and other polyesters, in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3908 | Polyamides in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3909 | Amino-resins, phenolic resins and polyurethanes, in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3911 | Petroleum resins, coumarone-indene resins, polyterpenes, polysulfides, polysulfones and other products specified in note 3 to this chapter, not elsewhere specified or included, in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3912 | Cellulose and its chemical derivatives, not elsewhere specified or included, in primary forms: | 1 |
| 3913 | Natural polymers (for example, alginic acid) and modified natural polymers (for example, hardened proteins, chemical derivatives of natural rubber), not elsewhere specified or included, in primary forms: | 0 |
| 3915 | Waste, parings and scrap, of plastics: | 1 |
| 3916 | Monofilament of which any cross-sectional dimension exceeds 1 mm, rods, sticks and profile shapes, whether or not surface-worked but not otherwise worked, of plastics: | 1 |
| 3917 | Tubes, pipes and hoses and fittings therefor (for example, joints, elbows, flanges), of plastics: | 1 |
| 3918 | Floor coverings of plastics, whether or not self-adhesive, in rolls or in the form of tiles; wall or ceiling coverings of plastics, as defined in note 9 to this chapter: | 0 |
| 3919 | Self-adhesive plates, sheets, film, foil, tape, strip and other flat shapes, of plastics, whether or not in rolls: | 0 |
| 3920 | Other plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of plastics, noncellular and not reinforced, laminated, supported or similarly combined with other materials: | 1 |
| 3921 | Other plates, sheets, film, foil and strip, of plastics: | 1 |
| 3922 | Baths, shower baths, sinks, washbasins, bidets, lavatory pans, seats and covers, flushing cisterns and similar sanitary ware, of plastics: | 0 |
| 3923 | Articles for the conveyance or packing of goods, of plastics; stoppers, lids, caps and other closures, of plastics: | 3 |
| 3924 | Tableware, kitchenware, other household articles and hygienic or toilet articles, of plastics: | 0 |
| 3925 | Builders' ware of plastics, not elsewhere specified or included: | 1 |
| 3926 | Other articles of plastics and articles of other materials of headings 3901 to 3914: | 1 |
Linked measures
0 linked measure entries in the current snapshot.
Questions about HTS Chapter 39
What does HTS Chapter 39 cover?
HTS Chapter 39 covers Plastics and articles thereof. This page groups the chapter’s 4-digit headings; a shipment still needs the most specific active 8- or 10-digit line supported by the product facts.
Is HTS Chapter 39 a final product classification?
No. A chapter is a broad 2-digit category. Narrow it to the applicable heading and the most specific active statistical line before estimating duty or filing an entry.