Registers — HTS 4820
Registers, account books, notebooks, order books, receipt books, letter pads, memorandum pads, diaries and similar articles, exercise books, blotting pads, binders (looseleaf or other), folders, file covers, manifold business forms, interleaved carbon sets and other articles of stationery, of paper or paperboard; albums for samples or for collections and book covers (including cover boards and book jackets) of paper or paperboard
Chapter 48 › Heading 4820
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 heading 4820 is a broad product category for many paper or paperboard stationery and filing articles. It groups items such as notebooks, diaries, registers, receipt and order books, pads, exercise books, binders, folders, file covers, business forms, carbon sets, collection albums, and paperboard book covers or jackets. The heading describes the general kind of article, not one single finished product or duty treatment.
To reach the correct 8-digit HTSUS code, first identify the article’s principal function and construction, then follow the subheadings and statistical subdivisions under heading 4820. The narrower code may distinguish the type of stationery, whether it has particular features, or the material and format used. Do not assume that every paper item belongs here: chapter notes, heading descriptions, and the product’s actual design control classification. When the facts are unclear, a customs broker or binding classification ruling may be appropriate.
What to check
- Describe the item’s primary use precisely—for example, notebook, binder, album, business form, or book cover—and do not classify it only by its marketing name.
- Check the paper or paperboard construction, cover material, inserts, binding, pockets, dividers, carbon layers, and other features that may affect the subheading.
- Read every available subheading and statistical suffix under 4820, including any distinctions based on type, format, or material.
- Compare heading 4820 with other potentially relevant headings and apply the General Rules of Interpretation rather than choosing the closest-sounding description.
- Keep product specifications, photographs, samples, and manufacturing information so the selected code can be verified by a broker or customs authority.
HTS heading 4820 summary
Registers is a 4-digit product category containing 5 published product-code lines in this snapshot. A heading does not carry one universal duty rate; classification must be narrowed to the line matching the product facts.
How to find your code in this category
A heading is a product category. To get the exact duty, narrow from this 4-digit heading to a sub-category (usually by material), then open the 8-digit code that matches your product.
Open any code in the tables below to see its exact duty rate, a duty calculator (enter your shipment value → estimated duty and landed cost), the rate-change history chart, and the country-by-country breakdown (including Section 301/232 add-on duties).
Why you have to click in: a single category can contain products with very different duties. The rate depends on the specific product — its material and construction — and on the country of origin, and those only get pinned down at the 8-digit code level. That is why this page points you to codes instead of showing one rate for the whole category.
Sub-categories
| Code | Description |
|---|---|
| 4820.10 | Registers, account books, notebooks, order books, receipt books, letter pads, memorandum pads, diaries and similar articles |
Product codes & duty rates
👇 Each row is a specific product code — click a blue code to open its full page with exact duty rates by country, the rate-history chart, and a duty calculator. 👉
| Code | Description | General (MFN) | Special | Column 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4820.20.00.00 👉 | Exercise books | Free | — | 25% |
| 4820.30.00 👉 | Binders (other than book covers), folders and file covers | Free | — | 35% |
| 4820.40.00.00 👉 | Manifold business forms and interleaved carbon sets | Free | — | 26.5% |
| 4820.50.00.00 👉 | Albums for samples or for collections | Free | — | 30% |
| 4820.90.00.00 👉 | Other | Free | — | 35% |
"Special" shows the free-trade-agreement rate; open a code to see exactly which countries qualify.
Common questions
What products fall under HTS heading 4820?
Registers, account books, notebooks, order books, receipt books, letter pads, memorandum pads, diaries and similar articles, exercise books, blotting pads, binders (looseleaf or other), folders, file covers, manifold business forms, interleaved carbon sets and other articles of stationery, of paper or paperboard; albums for samples or for collections and book covers (including cover boards and book jackets) of paper or paperboard. To classify a specific item you must pick the matching sub-category and 8-digit code above; the right choice usually depends on the material and construction of the product.
How do I choose the right code within this category?
Start from the sub-categories (typically divided by material—for example cotton versus man-made fibers), then open the active 8- or 10-digit code that matches the product. When unsure, a licensed customs broker or a CBP binding ruling can confirm the classification.
Reference information only, not customs, legal, or classification advice. Confirm the current code and rate against the official HTS before you import.