HS Code 5512Woven fabrics of synthetic staple fibres, containing 85% or more by weight of synthetic staple fibres

What HS code 5512 covers

Staple fibres are short fibres. Mills spin them into yarn and then weave the yarn into cloth. Synthetic means the fibre is made from chemicals, such as polyester or acrylic.

The test is weight. In every hundred parts of the cloth, at least 85 parts must be synthetic staple fibre. Cloth that passes this test belongs under this heading. The heading sits in Chapter 55, man-made staple fibres, which is part of Section XI, textiles.

Only woven cloth counts here. Loose fibre, yarn and thread have their own headings in the same chapter.

Synthetic staple fibre fabrics by fibre type

Pick the fibre first. The fibre that passes the weight test decides which pair of codes you use. Modacrylic is a close cousin of acrylic, so the two share one pair. A polyester staple woven fabric has its own pair. Any other synthetic staple fibre goes to the last pair.

• Polyester staple fibres: 551211 and 551219
• Acrylic or modacrylic staple fibres: 551221 and 551229
• Other synthetic staple fibres not named above: 551291 and 551299

Unbleached or bleached vs other finishes

Each pair splits the same way. The first code of the pair is for cloth that is unbleached or bleached. The second code takes every other finish.

So 551211 is polyester cloth that is unbleached or bleached, while 551219 is polyester cloth in any other state. Cloth that is dyed, printed or woven from dyed yarn goes to the second code. The same logic links 551221 with 551229, and 551291 with 551299.

If you are unsure, ask what was done to the cloth before it shipped. Plain or whitened cloth takes the first code. Coloured or patterned cloth takes the second.

Difference between HS 5512 and 5513, 5514, 5515 and 5516

Most mistakes happen when a fabric is named after its main fibre and the blend is never checked. A cloth sold as polyester can still fall short of the weight test. Check the fibre share on the mill sheet before you choose a code.

Here is how the nearby headings differ:

• 5513: woven blends that fall below the 85 line, mixed mainly or solely with cotton, weighing up to 170g/m2.
• 5514: the same kind of blend as 5513, but weighing over 170g/m2.
• 5515: other woven synthetic staple fabrics that fit none of the earlier headings in the chapter.
• 5516: woven cloth made from artificial staple fibres, not synthetic ones.

Find importers and exporters of 5512 fabrics

Once you know the right code, you can look at who trades it. If you need a second opinion on a product first, try the HS code classifier.

EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources. Coverage: 43 direct customs feeds plus 184 mirror-derived countries. Named buyers and named suppliers are available in 38 of the 43 direct markets. Most markets refresh weekly and some refresh daily. You can search by HS code to see who imports and exports a product, and book a free demo.