HTS code for handbags and purses (2026)
Most handbags are classified by the material of the outer surface. A handbag with an outer surface of sheeting of plastics goes to 4202.22.15.00, which has a general (column 1) rate of 16%. A handbag with an outer surface of leather or composition leather moves to 4202.21.90.00 (9%, valued over $20 each) or 4202.21.60.00 (10%, valued not over $20 each).
The attribute that most often moves a handbag to another line is therefore the outer surface material: leather, plastic sheeting, or textile (cotton, man-made fibers, silk). Every line listed here carries 9903.88.03 (Section 301 China): +25%, reported separately from the general rate.
Candidate HTS lines for handbags and purses
| Code | Line | General rate | Special rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4202.22.15.00 | With outer surface of sheeting of plastics (No.) Handbags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials: Use when: Handbags, with or without shoulder strap, whose outer surface is sheeting of plastics. | 16% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,IL, JO,KR,MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,R,S,SG) 15% (E) |
| 4202.21.90.00 | Valued over $20 each (No.) Handbags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle: › With outer surface of leather or of composition leather: › Other: Use when: Handbags with an outer surface of leather or composition leather (not reptile) valued over $20 each. | 9% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,IL, JO,KR,MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,R,S,SG) 7.2% (E) |
| 4202.21.60.00 | Valued not over $20 each (No.) Handbags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle: › With outer surface of leather or of composition leather: › Other: Use when: Handbags with an outer surface of leather or composition leather (not reptile) valued not over $20 each. | 10% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,IL, JO,KR,MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,R,S,SG) 8% (E) |
| 4202.21.30.00 | Of reptile leather (No.) Handbags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle: › With outer surface of leather or of composition leather: Use when: Handbags with an outer surface of reptile leather. | 5.3% | Free (AU,BH, CL,CO,D,IL, JO,KR,MA, OM,P,PA,PE,R,S, SG) 4.2% (E) |
| 4202.22.81.00 | Of man-made fibers (670) (No., kg) Handbags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials: Use when: Handbags with an outer surface of textile materials, of man-made fibers (670), that are not wholly or in part of braid. | 17.6% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,IL,JO,KR, MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) 16.6% (E) |
| 4202.22.45.00 | Of cotton (369) (No., kg) Handbags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials: Use when: Handbags with an outer surface of textile materials, of vegetable fibers and not of pile or tufted construction, of cotton (369), that are not wholly or in part of braid. | 6.3% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO, D,IL,JO,KR, MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) 4.9% (E) |
| 4202.22.70.00 | Containing 85 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste (No., kg) Handbags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials: Use when: Handbags with an outer surface of textile materials containing 85 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste, that are not wholly or in part of braid. | 7% | Free (AU,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,KR,MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) |
| 4202.22.60.00 | Other (871) (No., kg) Handbags, whether or not with shoulder strap, including those without handle: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials: Use when: Handbags with an outer surface of textile materials, of vegetable fibers other than cotton and not of pile or tufted construction (871), that are not wholly or in part of braid. | 5.7% | Free (AU,BH,CL,CO,IL,JO,KR,MA, NP,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) 4.4% (E) |
| 4202.32.20.00 | Other (No.) Articles of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics: Use when: Articles of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag (wallets and similar) with an outer surface of sheeting of plastics, in the Other provision. | 20% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,E,IL,JO,KR,MA,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) |
| 4202.32.40.00 | Of cotton (369) (No., kg) Articles of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials: › With outer surface of textile materials: › Of vegetable fibers and not of pile or tufted construction: Use when: Articles of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag, with an outer surface of textile materials, of vegetable fibers and not of pile or tufted construction, of cotton (369). | 6.3% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,IL,JO,KR, MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) 4.9% (E) |
| 4202.32.93.00 | Of man-made fibers (670) (No., kg) Articles of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag: › With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials: › With outer surface of textile materials: › Other: Use when: Articles of a kind normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag, with an outer surface of textile materials, of man-made fibers (670). | 17.6% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,IL,JO,KR, MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,S,SG) 16.6% (E) |
| 4202.11.00 | With outer surface of leather or of composition leather Trunks, suitcases, vanity cases, attache cases, briefcases, school satchels and similar containers: Use when: Trunks, suitcases, vanity cases, attache cases, briefcases, school satchels and similar containers with an outer surface of leather or of composition leather, which is the line family for briefcase style cases rather than handbags. | 8% | Free (A,AU,BH,CL,CO,D,IL,JO,KR,MA,NP,OM,P,PA,PE,R,S,SG) 6.4% (E) |
Chapter 99 duties and claims that attach to these lines today
Section 301 China
- 9903.88.03 Section 301 China, +25%, applies to 4202.22.15.00, 4202.21.90.00, 4202.21.60.00, 4202.21.30.00, 4202.22.81.00, 4202.22.45.00, 4202.22.70.00, 4202.22.60.00, 4202.32.20.00, 4202.32.40.00, 4202.32.93.00, 4202.11.00 9903.88.03 Explained: Section 301 China List 4, 25% Duty Rate
Each applicable Chapter 99 heading is reported as its own line beside the classification. Its duty is separate from the general rate above; most programs charge it on top, and a heading's own text says how it is assessed.
What decides the line
Start with what the article is. A handbag, with or without shoulder strap and including one without handle, belongs in the handbag lines. A wallet, purse or similar article normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag belongs in lines such as 4202.32.20.00 or 4202.32.40.00. A briefcase, attache case, school satchel or similar container with a leather outer surface belongs in 4202.11.00, which has its own subdivisions such as 4202.11.00.30.
Next, check the outer surface of the handbag. Leather or composition leather leads to 4202.21.30.00 for reptile leather. Otherwise the value decides: 4202.21.90.00 applies when valued over $20 each, and 4202.21.60.00 applies when valued not over $20 each.
If the outer surface is sheeting of plastics, the handbag goes to 4202.22.15.00. If the outer surface is textile material, check for braid first: handbags wholly or in part of braid have their own lines, for example 4202.22.35.00 for abaca and 4202.22.40 for other braid. For the rest, vegetable fibers that are not of pile or tufted construction come next: cotton (369) of that kind goes to 4202.22.45.00 and other vegetable fibers go to 4202.22.60.00. After that, a handbag containing 85 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste goes to 4202.22.70.00, man-made fibers (670) go to 4202.22.81.00, and the remaining textile surfaces go to the 4202.22.89 lines.
Last, read the rate and the Chapter 99 provision on the line you chose. The rates differ widely: 4202.22.15.00 is 16% and 4202.22.81.00 is 17.6%, while 4202.21.90.00 is 9%.
Common mistakes
- Classifying a plastic or imitation leather handbag under a leather line such as 4202.21.90.00, when an outer surface of sheeting of plastics belongs in 4202.22.15.00.
- Ignoring the value break for leather handbags, since 4202.21.90.00 is for valued over $20 each and 4202.21.60.00 is for valued not over $20 each.
- Treating a wallet or small purse carried in the handbag as a handbag, when articles of that kind have their own lines such as 4202.32.20.00.
- Leaving out 9903.88.03 (Section 301 China): +25% on an entry it applies to, since each Chapter 99 heading is reported as its own line beside the classification.
- Choosing a textile line without checking the fiber, such as using 4202.22.81.00 for a cotton canvas handbag that belongs in 4202.22.45.00.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HTS code for a handbag?
There is no single code. Handbags are in the 4202 headings and the line depends on the outer surface. A handbag with an outer surface of sheeting of plastics is 4202.22.15.00 (general rate 16%). A leather handbag valued over $20 each is 4202.21.90.00 (general rate 9%).
What is the general duty rate on a purse or handbag?
It depends on the line. The general (column 1) rate is 16% for 4202.22.15.00, 9% for 4202.21.90.00, 10% for 4202.21.60.00, 6.3% for 4202.22.45.00 and 17.6% for 4202.22.81.00. Confirm the rate for your exact line in the current HTSUS.
Which line applies to a wallet?
Wallets and similar articles normally carried in the pocket or in the handbag are in the 4202.32 family of lines. For example, 4202.32.20.00 covers those with an outer surface of sheeting of plastics in the Other provision, at a general rate of 20%, and 4202.32.40.00 covers those with a cotton (369) textile outer surface that is not of pile or tufted construction at 6.3%. Check the outer surface material first.
What is 9903.88.03 on my handbag entry?
9903.88.03 is listed as Section 301 China, with a rate of +25%. It is reported as its own line beside the classification. Its duty is separate from the general rate, and most programs charge it on top. Confirm in the current HTSUS whether it applies to your goods.
Does the special rate column matter for handbags?
Yes, if the goods qualify for a listed program. For 4202.22.15.00 the special column shows Free for programs identified by letter and 15% (E). Qualification depends on the program rules, so confirm eligibility in the current HTSUS or with a licensed broker.
What if my bag is a briefcase or school satchel rather than a handbag?
Those containers have their own lines. With a leather outer surface they are in 4202.11.00, for example 4202.11.00.30 for attache cases, briefcases, school satchels, occupational luggage cases and similar containers, at a general rate of 8%.