HS codes for importing used and vintage clothing

What is an HS code?

The Harmonized System code is the international product classification customs uses to assess duty. Every commercial shipment needs the right code on its invoice. Clothing sits in chapters 61 (knitted) and 62 (woven), and worn clothing has its own heading, 6309.

When does 6309 apply?

Heading 6309 covers worn clothing and other worn articles traded in bulk — typically bales or sacks of used garments showing signs of wear. Many countries apply a low or zero duty to 6309 but also restrict or inspect it, because it is associated with the rag trade. Individual resale-quality garments are often classified under their normal headings instead.

Which codes apply to individual Carhartt pieces?

By garment and material: cotton jackets and anoraks for men under heading 6201, cotton trousers and shorts under 6203, cotton T-shirts under 6109, and so on. The duty rate for these is the standard clothing rate in the destination — around 12 percent in the EU and UK — regardless of age.

Does classification change the duty I pay?

Yes, which is why it matters. 6309 may carry lower duty but can trigger inspection, licences or outright restrictions in some countries. Garment headings carry standard duty and clear smoothly. For resale-quality reworked pieces we use the garment headings and declare them accurately.

What should the commercial invoice show?

Seller and buyer details, a description of each line in plain words — 'men's cotton jacket, used, reworked' — the HS code, quantity, unit value, total value, currency, country of origin and the Incoterm. A matching packing list with weights helps the broker.

Can I ask the supplier to under-declare?

No. Under-declaring value is customs fraud, exposes the buyer to penalties and seizure, and a reputable supplier will refuse. We invoice at the real transaction value and classify accurately so your shipment clears without a story.