Chapter · Section VIII
Chapter 42: Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut)
- 2%–8%UK
- 1.7%–9.7%EU
- 40%–150%Türkiye
- 0%–20%USA
- US$91.9bnWorld trade in 2024
Chapter 42 of the Harmonized System has 5 headings and belongs to section VIII (raw hides and skins, leather, furskins and articles thereof; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut)).
The UK Global Tariff divides chapter 42 into 54 tariff lines; the duty is between 2% and 8% (average 3.3%).
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, chapter 42 covers 36 tariff lines and the duty is between 1.7% and 9.7%.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides chapter 42 into 75 tariff lines; the statutory rate is between 40% and 150% (average 122.9%).
In 2024, countries exported chapter 42 goods worth US$91.9bn (−2.9% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$32.3bn), followed by France.
The biggest buyer was the United States, with imports of US$14.4bn.
Duty rates compared
The Turkish schedule prints the statutory rate set under Customs Law 474. The rate applied at import is laid down in the Import Regime Decision and can be lower, or different by country of origin.
Headings 5
- 4201Saddlery and harness for any animal (including traces, leads, knee pads, muzzles, saddle-cloths, saddlebags, dog coats and the like), of any material
- 4202Trunks, suitcases, vanity cases, executive-cases, briefcases, school satchels, spectacle cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar containers; travelling-bags, insulated food or beverages bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, handbags, shopping-bags, wallets, purses, map-cases, cigarette-cases, tobacco-pouches, tool bags, sports bags, bottle-cases, jewellery boxes, powder boxes, cutlery cases and similar containers, of leather or of composition leather, of sheeting of plastics, of textile materials, of vulcanised fibre or of paperboard, or wholly or mainly covered with such materials or with paper
- 4203Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, of leather or of composition leather
- 4205Other articles of leather or of composition leather
- 4206Articles of gut (other than silkworm gut), of goldbeater's skin, of bladders or of tendons
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$915.3kUS$915.3k+US$37.1m+US$417.9m+> US$2.7bn
Exports: 225
- China: US$32.3bn
- France: US$13bn
- Italy: US$12.2bn
- Vietnam: US$5.2bn
- India: US$3.1bn
- Cambodia: US$2.9bn
- Germany: US$2.7bn
- Spain: US$2.3bn
- Indonesia: US$1.8bn
- Netherlands: US$1.4bn
- United States: US$1.1bn
- Poland: US$991.7m
- Philippines: US$905.4m
- Thailand: US$842m
- Pakistan: US$793m
- United Kingdom: US$789.7m
- Belgium: US$627.7m
- Bangladesh: US$556.5m
- Switzerland: US$537.3m
- Türkiye: US$511.4m
- Mexico: US$449.8m
- Romania: US$432.9m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$417.9m
- Czechia: US$392.2m
- Singapore: US$384.7m
- Hungary: US$378.1m
- South Korea: US$368m
- Portugal: US$367m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$344.2m
- Taiwan: US$266.7m
- Canada: US$231m
- Denmark: US$217.8m
- Tunisia: US$216m
- Japan: US$211.5m
- Austria: US$199.3m
- Slovakia: US$198.2m
- Sweden: US$190.8m
- Serbia: US$159.7m
- Morocco: US$143.4m
- Malaysia: US$105.6m
- Slovenia: US$92.9m
- Australia: US$92m
- Croatia: US$90.3m
- Macao SAR China: US$86.8m
- Bulgaria: US$68.4m
- United Arab Emirates: US$67.1m
- South Africa: US$66.5m
- Latvia: US$60m
- Greece: US$52.9m
- Colombia: US$51.7m
- Ireland: US$50.5m
- Lithuania: US$48.5m
- Finland: US$44.2m
- Brazil: US$43.7m
- Guatemala: US$43.7m
- Dominican Republic: US$37.1m
- Estonia: US$37m
- Ukraine: US$36.2m
- Paraguay: US$32.4m
- Madagascar: US$32.3m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$25mUS$25m+US$178.6m+US$1bn+> US$3.6bn
Imports: 222
- United States: US$14.4bn
- Japan: US$6.3bn
- France: US$5.5bn
- Germany: US$5.4bn
- China: US$4.6bn
- Italy: US$3.9bn
- South Korea: US$3.6bn
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$3.5bn
- United Kingdom: US$3.2bn
- Spain: US$2.5bn
- Netherlands: US$2.3bn
- Poland: US$2bn
- Canada: US$1.9bn
- Singapore: US$1.7bn
- United Arab Emirates: US$1.6bn
- Australia: US$1.6bn
- Mexico: US$1.5bn
- Switzerland: US$1.4bn
- Thailand: US$1.2bn
- Austria: US$1.1bn
- Brazil: US$1.1bn
- Russia: US$1.1bn
- Malaysia: US$1bn
- Taiwan: US$997.9m
- Belgium: US$972.7m
- Vietnam: US$759.8m
- Portugal: US$693.6m
- Czechia: US$683.7m
- Saudi Arabia: US$674.9m
- Türkiye: US$674.9m
- India: US$658.8m
- Kyrgyzstan: US$557.1m
- Sweden: US$550.6m
- Romania: US$524m
- Greece: US$516.3m
- Kazakhstan: US$514.3m
- Denmark: US$493.4m
- Philippines: US$491.8m
- Indonesia: US$476.3m
- Macao SAR China: US$389.9m
- Norway: US$379.2m
- Chile: US$328.8m
- Ireland: US$310.3m
- Peru: US$289.9m
- Slovakia: US$284.7m
- Morocco: US$272.7m
- Colombia: US$272.4m
- Qatar: US$270.3m
- South Africa: US$267.5m
- Hungary: US$266.7m
- Kuwait: US$263.5m
- Israel: US$249.2m
- Finland: US$223.9m
- New Zealand: US$204.3m
- Ghana: US$196.5m
- Argentina: US$178.6m
- Croatia: US$158m
- Ukraine: US$156.2m
- Serbia: US$150.1m
- Slovenia: US$148.6m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$32.3bn | 35.2% | |
| 2 | US$13bn | 14.2% | |
| 3 | US$12.2bn | 13.3% | |
| 4 | US$5.2bn | 5.6% | |
| 5 | US$3.1bn | 3.3% | |
| 6 | US$2.9bn | 3.1% | |
| 7 | US$2.7bn | 3% | |
| 8 | US$2.3bn | 2.5% | |
| 9 | US$1.8bn | 2% | |
| 10 | US$1.4bn | 1.5% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US$14.4bn | 15.6% | |
| 2 | US$6.3bn | 6.9% | |
| 3 | US$5.5bn | 6% | |
| 4 | US$5.4bn | 5.9% | |
| 5 | US$4.6bn | 5% | |
| 6 | US$3.9bn | 4.2% | |
| 7 | US$3.6bn | 3.9% | |
| 8 | US$3.5bn | 3.8% | |
| 9 | US$3.2bn | 3.5% | |
| 10 | US$2.5bn | 2.7% |
Chapter notes
Notes
1. For the purposes of this chapter, the term ‘leather’ includes chamois (including combination chamois) leather, patent leather, patent laminated leather and metallised leather.
2. This chapter does not cover:
(a) sterile surgical catgut or similar sterile suture materials (heading 3006);
(b) articles of apparel and clothing accessories (except gloves, mittens and mitts), lined with furskin or artificial fur or to which furskin or artificial fur is attached on the outside except as mere trimming (heading 4303 or 4304);
(c) made-up articles of netting (heading 5608);
(d) articles of Chapter 64;
(e) headgear or parts thereof of Chapter 65;
(f) whips, riding-crops or other articles of heading 6602;
(g) cuff links, bracelets or other imitation jewellery (heading 7117);
(h) fittings or trimmings for harness, such as stirrups, bits, horse brasses and buckles, separately presented (generally, Section XV);
(ij) strings, skins for drums or the like, or other parts of musical instruments (heading 9209);
(k) articles of Chapter 94 (for example, furniture, luminaires and lighting fittings);
(l) articles of Chapter 95 (for example, toys, games, sports requisites); or
(m) buttons, press-fasteners, snap-fasteners, press studs, button moulds or other parts of these articles, button blanks, of heading 9606.
3.
(A) In addition to the provisions of note 2 above, heading 4202 does not cover:
(a) bags made of sheeting of plastics, whether or not printed, with handles, not designed for prolonged use (heading 3923);
(b) articles of plaiting materials (heading 4602).
(B) Articles of headings 4202 and 4203 which have parts of precious metal or metal clad with precious metal, of natural or cultured pearls, of precious or semi-precious stones (natural, synthetic or reconstructed) remain classified in those headings, even if such parts constitute more than minor fittings or minor ornamentation, provided that these parts do not give the articles their essential character. If, on the other hand, the parts give the articles their essential character, the articles are to be classified in Chapter 71.
4. For the purposes of heading 4203, the expression ‘articles of apparel and clothing accessories’ applies, inter alia, to gloves, mittens and mitts (including those for sport or for protection), aprons and other protective clothing, braces, belts, bandoliers and wrist straps, but excluding watch straps (heading 9113).
Additional note
1. For the purposes of the subheadings of heading 4202, the term ‘outer surface’ is to refer to the material of the outer surface of the container being visible to the naked eye, even where this material is the outer layer of a combination of materials which makes up the outer material of the container.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut)?
Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut) make up HS chapter 42, in section VIII of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on articles of leather in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 42 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 2% to 8%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on articles of leather in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 42 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 1.7% to 9.7%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most articles of leather?
China, with US$32.3bn in 2024 (35.2% of world exports).