# HS Codes for Clothing & Apparel: Shopify Guide — Origova

> Every garment needs an HS code from Chapter 61 (knits) or 62 (wovens). The codes for t-shirts, hoodies, jeans, and dresses — and how to apply them in bulk.

Canonical: https://origova.com/hs-code-for-clothing-shopify

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# HS codes for clothing and apparel: a Shopify seller's guide

_By [Spencer Flaherty](https://origova.com/about), founder of Origova_

If you sell apparel and ship internationally, every garment in your catalog needs an [HS code](https://origova.com/what-is-an-hs-code) — and clothing has a reputation for being confusing to classify. It's actually one of the more logical categories once you know the system's first question. Nearly everything you sell will land in **Chapter 61** or **Chapter 62** , and which one depends on a single property of the fabric.

## The first question: knitted or woven?

The HS splits all garments by **construction** , before it ever asks what the garment is. **Chapter 61** covers knitted or crocheted apparel; **Chapter 62** covers woven (not-knitted) apparel. T-shirt jersey, sweatshirt fleece, polo piqué, and anything with natural stretch are knits → Chapter 61. Denim, poplin, twill, chino cloth, and most structured fabrics are woven → Chapter 62. The quick tell: knit fabric is made of interlocking loops and stretches on its own; woven fabric is threads crossed at right angles and only stretches if elastane is added.

This is why two products that look alike can classify differently: a knit cardigan is 6110, while a denim jacket is 6201/6202 — different chapters, because different construction.

## Then: the garment type sets the 4-digit heading

Within each chapter, garments group into 4-digit headings. These are the ones that cover most of a typical Shopify apparel store:

Garment| Knitted → Ch. 61| Woven → Ch. 62  
---|---|---  
T-shirts, tanks & singlets| `6109`| — (a woven "tee" classifies as a shirt: 6205/6206)  
Shirts, polos & blouses| `6105` men's · `6106` women's| `6205` men's · `6206` women's  
Sweaters, hoodies & sweatshirts| `6110`| —  
Trousers, jeans & shorts| `6103` men's · `6104` women's| `6203` men's · `6204` women's  
Dresses & skirts| `6104`| `6204`  
Coats, jackets & anoraks| `6101` men's · `6102` women's| `6201` men's · `6202` women's  
Underwear & sleepwear| `6107` men's · `6108` women's| `6207` men's · `6208` women's  
Socks, tights & hosiery| `6115`| —  
Swimwear & tracksuits| `6112`| `6211`  
Babies' garments| `6111`| `6209`  
  
Two patterns worth noticing: many headings split men's/boys' from women's/girls' (unisex garments are classified as women's under the HS rules when they can't be identified as men's or boys'), and babies' garments — for young children up to about 86 cm — get their own headings regardless of type.

## Six digits: fiber decides the subheading

The last two digits of the international code usually come from **fiber composition** , under a chief-weight rule: the fiber that predominates by weight governs. A 55% cotton / 45% polyester tee classifies as cotton — `6109.10`. A 100% polyester version of the same shirt is "of man-made fibres" — `6109.90` territory. Hoodies follow the same logic under 6110: `6110.20` cotton, `6110.30` man-made fibers. For blends hovering near 50/50, small recipe changes can flip the classification — that's a case for a broker, not a guess.

## A worked example: the classic cotton tee

Chapter `61` (it's knit) → heading `6109` (it's a t-shirt) → subheading `6109.10` (chief weight is cotton). That 6-digit code is valid on customs paperwork everywhere. For US imports, the HTS extends it to ten digits on the base `6109.10.00`, with the final digits splitting men's, women's, boys' and girls' — look the current lines up at [hts.usitc.gov](https://hts.usitc.gov) if you want the full extension. In Shopify, entering `610910` satisfies the field; [a correct 6-digit code beats a borrowed 10-digit one](https://origova.com/what-is-an-hs-code).

## Accessories are a different chapter

A common mistake is stretching a garment code across everything in an apparel store. The HS disagrees: **hats and caps** are Chapter 65 (knit beanies typically `6505`), **scarves** are `6117` knitted or `6214` woven, **gloves** are `6116` knitted or `6216` woven, **leather belts** are `4203` in the leather chapter, and **bags** live in Chapter 42 (`4202`) entirely. If your store mixes garments and accessories, expect two or three chapters in your catalog — that's normal and correct.

## Check the code before you commit

For US imports use the USITC's tariff search at hts.usitc.gov; for US exports, the Census Bureau's Schedule B tool; for the UK, the Trade Tariff on GOV.UK; for the EU, Access2Markets. When a product sits between two plausible codes, US CBP's CROSS database of past rulings is the tiebreaker professionals use — apparel edge cases like leggings (knit trousers under 6104, or tights under 6115?) have been ruled on many times.

**Not customs advice** This guide covers the common cases, and classification is ultimately a legal determination that depends on your exact product. Blends near 50/50, garment sets, performance coatings, and costume-like items are genuine broker questions. 

## Applying codes across a Shopify catalog

Here's the practical upside of how apparel classifies: your catalog probably needs **a handful of codes, not hundreds**. Every colorway and size of a garment shares one classification, and most stores' products cluster into a few construction-and-fiber groups — all the cotton knit tops, all the woven cotton bottoms, and so on.

The friction is Shopify itself: the HS code lives on each variant's inventory item, and while the bulk editor will let you type codes down a grid, [nothing native tells you which variants are missing one](https://origova.com/bulk-edit-hs-codes-shopify). [Origova](https://origova.com/) closes that gap — it scans your catalog, lists every variant missing a code (or carrying one outside the 6–10 digit format), and lets you select a whole group and apply its code in one reversible batch. Classify once per group, apply in bulk, and the long tail of "which products did I miss?" disappears — the scan is the audit.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the HS code for a t-shirt?

Knitted t-shirts classify under heading 6109: subheading 6109.10 for cotton, 6109.90 for other fibers. Countries extend this for imports — the US, for example, uses 10-digit codes built on 6109.10.00 that split men's and women's shirts.

### What HS code do hoodies and sweatshirts use?

Knitted hoodies, sweatshirts, sweaters, and cardigans classify under heading 6110 — typically 6110.20 for cotton and 6110.30 for man-made fibers.

### What is the HS code for jeans?

Denim is a woven fabric, so jeans classify in Chapter 62: cotton trousers under 6203.42 for men's and boys', and 6204.62 for women's and girls'.

### Do all sizes and colors of a garment share the same HS code?

Yes. Size and color don't affect classification — a t-shirt in five colors and six sizes is one HS code. What changes the code is construction (knitted vs woven), garment type, fiber composition, and in many headings men's/boys' vs women's/girls'.

### Is there one HS code for all clothing?

No. Clothing splits across Chapter 61 (knitted or crocheted) and Chapter 62 (woven), then by garment type and fiber. In practice, though, a typical apparel store's whole catalog resolves to a handful of codes — one per construction-and-fiber group — which is why applying them in bulk works well.

Primary sources: the official [Harmonized Tariff Schedule (hts.usitc.gov)](https://hts.usitc.gov), and the statute ending de minimis, [19 U.S.C. § 1321 (Cornell Law, LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/19/1321).

Related: [What is an HS code? The Harmonized System, explained](https://origova.com/what-is-an-hs-code) · [How to add HS codes to Shopify products in bulk](https://origova.com/bulk-edit-hs-codes-shopify) · [HS codes for jewelry](https://origova.com/hs-code-for-jewelry-shopify)