Analysis
HTS 5202.99.50 covers other: other under heading 5202 (cotton waste (including yarn waste and garnetted stock)).
There is no general-rate duty on this line, which puts it with roughly 7% of the 222 tariff lines in chapter 52 that are also free. Free here means free of the base duty only: origin-specific Chapter 99 duties such as Section 301 can still be owed.
The other lines in the same group are 5202.99.05 (described in general note 15 of the tariff schedule and…, duty-free), 5202.99.10 (described in additional U.S. note 9 to this chapter and…, duty-free) and 5202.99.30 (card strips made from cotton having a staple length under…, 7.8¢/kg).
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 314999 (All Other Miscellaneous Textile Product Mills), an industry of 2,241 US establishments employing 26,500 people, the industry a domestic producer of these goods reports under.
All 3 neighbouring lines carry the same duty-free rate, so a borderline choice between them changes the statistics reported, not the duty paid.
Every edition we compared, from Jan 2023 to Oct 2026 (Rev. 22), shows the same general rate of Free.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 5202.99.05 | Described in general note 15 of the tariff schedule and entered pursuant to its provisions | Free |
| 5202.99.10 | Described in additional U.S. note 9 to this chapter and entered pursuant to its provisions | Free |
| 5202.99.30 | Card strips made from cotton having a staple length under 30.1625 mm (1-3/16 inches) and lap waste, sliver waste and roving waste: other | 7.8¢/kg |