Chapter
Chapter 56: Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns; twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof
9 headings make up chapter 56, part of section XI, textiles and textile articles.
Duty rates compared
UK Free – 12% Third-country duty 102 tariff lines · average 5.2% 
EU 3.2% – 12% Third-country duty 59 tariff lines · average 6% 
Türkiye 3.2% – 12% Third-country duty 104 tariff lines · average 5.3% 
USA Free – 14.1% General (MFN) 55 tariff lines · average 4.2% · 4× specific or compound duty 
Canada Free – 16% General (MFN) 49 tariff lines · average 3.4% 
Mexico Free – 35% General (MFN) 57 tariff lines · average 21% 
Brazil Free – 26% General (MFN) 77 tariff lines · average 19.2% 
Argentina Free – 18% General (MFN) 371 tariff lines · average 17.5% 
Peru Free – 6% General (MFN) 33 tariff lines · average 2.4% 
New Zealand Free – 5% General (MFN) 61 tariff lines · average 3.7% 
Japan Free – 6.6% General (MFN) 84 tariff lines · average 3.7% · 1× specific or compound duty 
Taiwan Free – 10% General (MFN) 60 tariff lines · average 6.3% 
GCC 5% General (MFN) 115 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free General (MFN) 30 tariff lines 
Norway Free General (MFN) 38 tariff lines 
North Macedonia Free – 12.5% General (MFN) 59 tariff lines · average 7.9% 
Nigeria 5% – 20% General (MFN) 31 tariff lines · average 15.8% Headings 9
- 5601Wadding of textile materials and articles thereof; textile fibres, not exceeding 5 mm in length (flock), textile dust and mill neps
- 5602Felt, whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated
- 5603Nonwovens, whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated
- 5604Rubber thread and cord, textile covered; textile yarn, and strip and the like of heading 5404 or 5405, impregnated, coated, covered or sheathed with rubber or plastics
- 5605Metallised yarn, whether or not gimped, being textile yarn, or strip or the like of heading 5404 or 5405, combined with metal in the form of thread, strip or powder or covered with metal
- 5606Gimped yarn, and strip and the like of heading 5404 or 5405, gimped (other than those of heading 5605 and gimped horsehair yarn); chenille yarn (including flock chenille yarn); loop wale-yarn
- 5607Twine, cordage, ropes and cables, whether or not plaited or braided and whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or sheathed with rubber or plastics
- 5608Knotted netting of twine, cordage or rope; made-up fishing nets and other made-up nets, of textile materials
- 5609Articles of yarn, strip or the like of heading 5404 or 5405, twine, cordage, rope or cables, not elsewhere specified or included
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$870kUS$870k+US$58m+US$326m+> US$1.2bn
Exports: 205
- China: US$7.7bn
- Germany: US$2.5bn
- United States: US$2.2bn
- Italy: US$1.7bn
- Japan: US$1.2bn
- Türkiye: US$1.2bn
- France: US$811m
- South Korea: US$779m
- India: US$709m
- Netherlands: US$687m
- Thailand: US$652m
- Spain: US$637m
- Poland: US$617m
- Czechia: US$520m
- Luxembourg: US$461m
- Vietnam: US$458m
- Taiwan: US$442m
- United Kingdom: US$438m
- Portugal: US$340m
- Belgium: US$326m
- Israel: US$281m
- Mexico: US$257m
- Lithuania: US$242m
- Denmark: US$239m
- Hungary: US$231m
- Canada: US$223m
- Sweden: US$217m
- Slovenia: US$208m
- Greece: US$193m
- Malaysia: US$188m
- Austria: US$181m
- Saudi Arabia: US$156m
- Indonesia: US$152m
- Egypt: US$141m
- Switzerland: US$138m
- Bulgaria: US$138m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$136m
- Brazil: US$132m
- Finland: US$131m
- Romania: US$112m
- Ukraine: US$75m
- Russia: US$71m
- Peru: US$70m
- Slovakia: US$69m
- Estonia: US$69m
- Uzbekistan: US$66m
- Australia: US$64m
- Serbia: US$59m
- Bangladesh: US$58m
- Sri Lanka: US$58m
- Philippines: US$56m
- South Africa: US$53m
- United Arab Emirates: US$44m
- Norway: US$38m
- Argentina: US$37m
- Tanzania: US$37m
- Singapore: US$35m
- Paraguay: US$34m
- Kazakhstan: US$34m
- Latvia: US$33m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$17mUS$17m+US$119m+US$363m+> US$1bn
Imports: 222
- United States: US$3.1bn
- Germany: US$1.7bn
- Vietnam: US$1.2bn
- Japan: US$1.1bn
- Mexico: US$1.1bn
- France: US$1bn
- China: US$1bn
- Italy: US$927m
- United Kingdom: US$898m
- Poland: US$892m
- Canada: US$768m
- Netherlands: US$742m
- South Korea: US$684m
- Indonesia: US$648m
- Czechia: US$635m
- Spain: US$625m
- Belgium: US$540m
- India: US$441m
- Russia: US$441m
- Türkiye: US$403m
- Brazil: US$403m
- Romania: US$366m
- Thailand: US$363m
- Australia: US$303m
- Austria: US$289m
- Switzerland: US$288m
- Malaysia: US$286m
- Cambodia: US$269m
- Denmark: US$257m
- United Arab Emirates: US$257m
- Morocco: US$253m
- Sweden: US$251m
- Bangladesh: US$232m
- Saudi Arabia: US$220m
- Norway: US$215m
- Taiwan: US$210m
- Slovakia: US$191m
- Philippines: US$186m
- Chile: US$176m
- Hungary: US$174m
- Ireland: US$167m
- Greece: US$165m
- Egypt: US$161m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$158m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$156m
- Ukraine: US$155m
- Portugal: US$143m
- Singapore: US$143m
- Algeria: US$139m
- South Africa: US$134m
- Israel: US$132m
- Colombia: US$131m
- Serbia: US$129m
- Finland: US$129m
- Pakistan: US$123m
- Kazakhstan: US$119m
- Slovenia: US$115m
- Croatia: US$101m
- Luxembourg: US$97m
- Argentina: US$96m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$7.7bn | 26% |
| 2 |  Germany | US$2.5bn | 8.5% |
| 3 | United States | US$2.2bn | 7.3% |
| 4 |  Italy | US$1.7bn | 5.7% |
| 5 | Japan | US$1.2bn | 4.2% |
| 6 | Türkiye | US$1.2bn | 4.1% |
| 7 |  France | US$811m | 2.8% |
| 8 |  South Korea | US$779m | 2.6% |
| 9 |  India | US$709m | 2.4% |
| 10 |  Netherlands | US$687m | 2.3% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$3.1bn | 10.6% |
| 2 | Germany | US$1.7bn | 5.8% |
| 3 |  Vietnam | US$1.2bn | 3.9% |
| 4 | Japan | US$1.1bn | 3.6% |
| 5 | Mexico | US$1.1bn | 3.6% |
| 6 | France | US$1bn | 3.5% |
| 7 | China | US$1bn | 3.5% |
| 8 | Italy | US$927m | 3.1% |
| 9 | United Kingdom | US$898m | 3% |
| 10 |  Poland | US$892m | 3% |
In the UK Global Tariff, chapter 56 covers 102 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 12%. 3 of them are duty-free.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides chapter 56 into 59 tariff lines; the duty is between 3.2% and 12% (average 6%).
In the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule, chapter 56 covers 104 tariff lines and the duty is between 3.2% and 12%.
World trade in chapter 56 goods reached US$29.5bn in 2024, up 1% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 26% of the total, ahead of Germany.
The United States imported the most (US$3.1bn).
Chapter notes
Notes
1. This chapter does not cover:
(a) wadding, felt or nonwovens, impregnated, coated or covered with substances or preparations (for example, perfumes or cosmetics of Chapter 33, soaps or detergents of heading 3401, polishes, creams or similar preparations of heading 3405, fabric softeners of heading 3809), where the textile material is present merely as a carrying medium;
(b) textile products of heading 5811;
(c) natural or artificial abrasive powder or grain, on a backing of felt or nonwovens (heading 6805);
(d) agglomerated or reconstituted mica, on a backing of felt or nonwovens (heading 6814);
(e) metal foil on a backing of felt or nonwovens (generally, Section XIV or XV); or
(f) sanitary towels (pads) and tampons, napkins (diapers) and napkin liners and similar articles of heading 9619.
2. The term ‘felt’ includes needleloom felt and fabrics consisting of a web of textile fibres the cohesion of which has been enhanced by a stitch-bonding process using fibres from the web itself.
3. Headings 5602 and 5603 cover, respectively, felt and nonwovens, impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with plastics or rubber, whatever the nature of these materials (compact or cellular).
Heading 5603 also includes nonwovens in which plastics or rubber forms the bonding substance.
Headings 5602 and 5603 do not, however, cover:
(a) felt impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with plastics or rubber, containing 50 % or less by weight of textile material or felt completely embedded in plastics or rubber (Chapter 39 or 40);
(b) nonwovens, either completely embedded in plastics or rubber, or entirely coated or covered on both sides with such materials, provided that such coating or covering can be seen with the naked eye with no account being taken of any resulting change of colour (Chapter 39 or 40); or
(c) plates, sheets or strip of cellular plastics or cellular rubber combined with felt or nonwovens, where the textile material is present merely for reinforcing purposes (Chapter 39 or 40).
4. Heading 5604 does not cover textile yarn, or strip or the like of heading 5404 or 5405, in which the impregnation, coating or covering cannot be seen with the naked eye (usually Chapters 50 to 55); for the purpose of this provision, no account should be taken of any resulting change of colour.
Additional note
1. Subheadings 56031420 and 56039420 cover needle-punched sheet, of a weight not exceeding 400 g/m2, of a thickness exceeding 0,5 mm but not exceeding 1,8 mm, impregnated with binders, containing less than 10 % of glass by weight, in rolls of a diameter from 100 cm to 130 cm and of a width from 95 cm to 120 cm.
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns; twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof?
Wadding, felt and nonwovens; special yarns; twine, cordage, ropes and cables and articles thereof make up HS chapter 56, in section XI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on wadding, felt and nonwovens in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 56 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 0% to 12%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on wadding, felt and nonwovens in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 56 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 3.2% to 12%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most wadding, felt and nonwovens?
China, with US$7.7bn in 2024 (26% of world exports).