The table
| HS heading | Official description | What we ship here | Watch out for | Example 8–10 digit line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4404 | Hoopwood, split poles, stakes, pegs & slats | Garden stakes, plant supports, split poles, edging | 4–8% US base; often duty-free to EU | US: 4404.10 coniferous / 4404.90 non-coniferous |
| 4409 | Continuously profiled boards, boards matched tongue-and-groove | Loose frame moulding, T&G shed walls, decking | Moulding into US has 301 history, check the 10-digit | US: 4409.22/4409.29 non-coniferous; 4409.10 coniferous |
| 4412 | Plywood, veneered panels, laminated board | Crates, display, some boards | Hardwood & decorative plywood from China carries AD/CVD, avoid into the US | US: 4412.33/4412.94; verify current AD scope |
| 4414 | Wooden picture, photograph or similar frames | Finished frames, mirror frames, box frames | Free base in US; 301 list to confirm by 10-digit line | US: 4414.00.0090 other wooden frames |
| 4415 | Packing cases, boxes, crates, drums, pallets, box boards | Export crates, ISPM-15 pallets, dunnage | ISPM-15 marking required, not optional | US: 4415.20 packing cases & pallets |
| 4417 | Wooden tools, tool bodies, handles, brush bodies | Tool handles, brush bodies, garden tool parts | Small base duty; usually no 301 issue | US: 4417.00.80 |
| 4418 | Builders' joinery & carpentry, incl. assembled panels | Shed wall panels, doors, window frames, pergola parts, parquet | Structural use may trigger CE/CPR in EU | US: 4418.20 doors; 4418.60/4418.7x structural; 4418.99 other |
| 4419 | Tableware & kitchenware of wood | Cutting boards, serving ware, trays, utensils | Food-contact reports required commercially, if not legally | US: 4419.90 other |
| 4420 | Statuettes & ornaments; inlaid/marqueteried wood; wooden boxes & cabinets | Gift boxes, keepsakes, engraved ornaments, signage | Check whether the item is a 'box' (4420) or 'frame' (4414) — duty differs | US: 4420.11/4420.19 statuettes; 4420.91/4420.99 other |
| 4421 | Other articles of wood | Trellis, fence panels, planters, raised beds, pet houses, insect hotels, bird houses | Our most-used heading; a catch-all that buyers mis-assign | US: 4421.91 (tropical) / 4421.99.97 other |
| 9403.20 | Other metal furniture | Garden structures with metal frames, composite shelving | Wood/metal furniture split matters for 232 | US: 9403.20.00 metal; 9403.60 other wood |
| 9403.60 | Other furniture of wood | Pet furniture, shelving, stools, sideboard-style kennels | Wood furniture into US sits on 301 List 3 (25%), confirm | US: 9403.60.80 other wooden furniture |
| 9406 | Prefabricated buildings | Garden sheds, playhouses, cabins, greenhouse kits | 9406.10 wooden; base duty small; 232/301 to verify per line | US: 9406.10.00 wooden; 9406.20 iron/steel |
| 9503/9505 | Toys / festive articles | Wooden toys, Christmas ornaments with play value | CPSIA, ASTM F963, EN 71 apply the moment there is play value | US: 9503.00 toys; 9505.10 Christmas articles |
| 4602 | Basketware &plaited-work articles; bamboo products | Bamboo trays, woven baskets, bamboo tableware | Bamboo is not CITES-restricted. That is a useful fact | US: 4602.11 bamboo; 4602.19.9000 |
| 4403 / 4407 | Logs / sawn timber | Raw input, purchased in-cluster | Not finished goods: we do not export these | Freight makes logs a poor export from inland China |
| 6810 | Articles of cement, concrete or stone | 'Concrete-look' planters, stone-effect troughs | Not wood: no CITES/TSCA, but weight kills freight economics | US: 6810.99, different supplier discipline entirely |
| 3925 / 3924 | Plastic builders' goods / household articles | WPC screening, composite planter boards | Composite goods are plastic, not wood; different rules and duty | US: 3924.10/3924.90; verify with broker |
Six classification traps that cost importers money
Chapter 44 is where HS mistakes happen, because wooden goods cross frames, boxes, joinery, furniture and 'other'. Declare deliberately, and let your broker confirm the 10-digit line before the first shipment.
- Frame or box? A keepsake box with a hinged lid is 4420; a shallow frame that holds a print is 4414. Misdeclaring one as the other is the classic reason a container gets examined.
- Solid wood vs composite. TSCA Title VI applies to hardwood plywood, particleboard and MDF, and to articles containing them. A cat tree with an MDF shelf is in scope; a solid pine frame is not.
- Wood vs furniture. A dog house used outdoors is usually 4421; a dog couch that looks like furniture may be declared 9403.60. Choose deliberately, document the reasoning, and let your broker confirm.
- Shed vs panel. A complete flat-pack shed is 9406; a wall panel sold as a building component is 4418. Same boards, different duty.
- Bamboo is not wood for every purpose. It leaves CITES and TSCA scope but enters food-contact scrutiny — quote the material honestly on the invoice.
- WPC is plastic. Never declare composite boards under chapter 44; the description mismatch is a fine, not a footnote.
Our declared practice
We print the HS/HTS line we intend to ship under on the proforma, with a dated note that the final classification is your broker's call. That protects both sides and it takes the mystery out of landed cost.
Two rules we keep: we never quote a duty rate without a date, and we never describe a material more loosely than the invoice requires. Where a product sits on a boundary. A shed that could be 9406 or 4418, a dog house that could be 4421 or 9403.60. We show you both classifications with the reasoning, because that is the conversation your broker wants to have before the container sails, not after.
Products we will not export, and why
Kitchen cabinets and vanities, hardwood decorative plywood, and any CITES-listed species. These are not commercial preferences, they are legal and trade-remedy realities.
| We decline | Reason | What we propose instead |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen cabinets & vanities to the US | AD/CVD orders in force plus Section 232 duty from 14 Oct 2025 | Free-standing storage units and pantry carcasses outside the scope, or bathroom furniture without vanity tops |
| Hardwood & decorative plywood to the US | AD/CVD China-wide rate around 187% | Softwood or poplar-core ply, or birch ply with a documented origin |
| Rosewood, ebony, agarwood goods | CITES Appendix II. Dalbergia since 2017, ebony group since 2019; permits required | Walnut-look acacia, smoked oak, or dark-stained rubberwood |
| MDF furniture sold with an 'eco' claim | Formaldehyde scope plus a claim you cannot evidence | Solid pine or FSC/PEFC-scope board with the correct label line |
| Barely legal 'no-dig' spikes in untreated timber | Guaranteed rot claim and returns | ACQ class 4 stakes or galvanised ground sleeves, priced 8% higher |