Heading · Chapter 56
5603: Nonwovens, whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated
Heading 5603 is divided into 8 six-digit subheadings and sits in chapter 56, wadding, felt and nonwovens.
Duty rates compared
UK 4% Third-country duty 43 tariff lines 
EU 4.3% Third-country duty 18 tariff lines 
Türkiye 4.3% Third-country duty 42 tariff lines 
USA Free General (MFN) 11 tariff lines 
Canada Free General (MFN) 10 tariff lines 
Mexico 10% – 35% General (MFN) 10 tariff lines · average 25.5% 
Brazil Free – 26% General (MFN) 40 tariff lines · average 22.6% 
Argentina Free – 18% General (MFN) 230 tariff lines · average 17.7% 
Peru Free – 6% General (MFN) 9 tariff lines · average 4.7% 
New Zealand 5% General (MFN) 16 tariff lines 
Japan Free – 4.3% General (MFN) 47 tariff lines · average 3.6% 
Taiwan Free – 5% General (MFN) 16 tariff lines · average 2.5% 
GCC 5% General (MFN) 40 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free General (MFN) 8 tariff lines 
Norway Free General (MFN) 8 tariff lines 
North Macedonia 4.3% – 10% General (MFN) 18 tariff lines · average 7.6% 
Nigeria 20% General (MFN) 8 tariff lines Subheadings 8
- 5603.11Weighing not more than 25 g/m2Synthetic filament nonwovens up to 25 g/m²
- 5603.12Weighing more than 25 g/m2 but not more than 70 g/m2Synthetic filament nonwovens 25-70 g/m²
- 5603.13Weighing more than 70 g/m2 but not more than 150 g/m2Synthetic filament nonwovens 70-150 g/m²
- 5603.14Weighing more than 150 g/m2Synthetic filament nonwovens over 150 g/m²
- 5603.91Weighing not more than 25 g/m2
- 5603.92Weighing more than 25 g/m2 but not more than 70 g/m2Other nonwovens 25-70 g/m²
- 5603.93Weighing more than 70 g/m2 but not more than 150 g/m2
- 5603.94Weighing more than 150 g/m2Other nonwovens over 150 g/m²
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$1mUS$1m+US$33m+US$285m+> US$944m
Exports: 165
- China: US$4bn
- Germany: US$2bn
- United States: US$2bn
- Italy: US$1bn
- Japan: US$944m
- Türkiye: US$793m
- France: US$485m
- Luxembourg: US$453m
- Spain: US$415m
- Czechia: US$404m
- Netherlands: US$393m
- Poland: US$367m
- South Korea: US$322m
- Taiwan: US$322m
- Thailand: US$307m
- India: US$285m
- Israel: US$269m
- Belgium: US$216m
- United Kingdom: US$216m
- Slovenia: US$187m
- Sweden: US$179m
- Denmark: US$157m
- Malaysia: US$143m
- Canada: US$134m
- Saudi Arabia: US$133m
- Egypt: US$126m
- Mexico: US$125m
- Finland: US$125m
- Vietnam: US$118m
- Austria: US$94m
- Greece: US$93m
- Brazil: US$85m
- Indonesia: US$74m
- Switzerland: US$66m
- Hungary: US$64m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$59m
- Australia: US$51m
- Portugal: US$43m
- Romania: US$33m
- Argentina: US$30m
- Russia: US$29m
- Peru: US$26m
- Slovakia: US$26m
- Serbia: US$23m
- South Africa: US$22m
- Paraguay: US$17m
- Uruguay: US$17m
- Ireland: US$15m
- New Zealand: US$14m
- Bulgaria: US$14m
- Colombia: US$13m
- Estonia: US$11m
- Lithuania: US$11m
- Morocco: US$11m
- Ukraine: US$10m
- Belarus: US$10m
- Singapore: US$9m
- Chile: US$9m
- Croatia: US$9m
- Guatemala: US$9m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$6mUS$6m+US$64m+US$179m+> US$654m
Imports: 219
- United States: US$2bn
- Germany: US$1bn
- China: US$763m
- Mexico: US$702m
- Japan: US$701m
- Vietnam: US$690m
- Poland: US$654m
- Italy: US$616m
- France: US$569m
- United Kingdom: US$554m
- Canada: US$546m
- Czechia: US$477m
- Netherlands: US$458m
- South Korea: US$425m
- Belgium: US$404m
- Spain: US$386m
- Indonesia: US$306m
- Brazil: US$252m
- India: US$226m
- Türkiye: US$206m
- Russia: US$204m
- Thailand: US$179m
- Austria: US$177m
- Switzerland: US$176m
- Sweden: US$175m
- Romania: US$173m
- Malaysia: US$156m
- Saudi Arabia: US$146m
- Morocco: US$145m
- Slovakia: US$130m
- Cambodia: US$128m
- Taiwan: US$124m
- Australia: US$123m
- Ireland: US$120m
- Denmark: US$117m
- Hungary: US$113m
- Algeria: US$105m
- Egypt: US$103m
- Bangladesh: US$103m
- Colombia: US$98m
- South Africa: US$94m
- Israel: US$93m
- Greece: US$91m
- Portugal: US$84m
- Slovenia: US$84m
- Philippines: US$84m
- United Arab Emirates: US$83m
- Ukraine: US$82m
- Luxembourg: US$80m
- Finland: US$77m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$77m
- Chile: US$69m
- Tunisia: US$67m
- Pakistan: US$66m
- Argentina: US$64m
- Serbia: US$63m
- Norway: US$63m
- Myanmar (Burma): US$63m
- Dominican Republic: US$60m
- Croatia: US$55m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$4bn | 23.7% |
| 2 |  Germany | US$2bn | 10.5% |
| 3 | United States | US$2bn | 9.2% |
| 4 |  Italy | US$1bn | 7.1% |
| 5 | Japan | US$944m | 5.4% |
| 6 | Türkiye | US$793m | 4.5% |
| 7 |  France | US$485m | 2.8% |
| 8 |  Luxembourg | US$453m | 2.6% |
| 9 |  Spain | US$415m | 2.4% |
| 10 |  Czechia | US$404m | 2.3% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$2bn | 11.3% |
| 2 | Germany | US$1bn | 6.6% |
| 3 | China | US$763m | 4.3% |
| 4 | Mexico | US$702m | 4% |
| 5 | Japan | US$701m | 4% |
| 6 |  Vietnam | US$690m | 3.9% |
| 7 |  Poland | US$654m | 3.7% |
| 8 | Italy | US$616m | 3.5% |
| 9 | France | US$569m | 3.2% |
| 10 | United Kingdom | US$554m | 3.2% |
The UK Global Tariff divides heading 5603 into 43 tariff lines; the duty is 4%.
In the EU Combined Nomenclature, heading 5603 covers 18 tariff lines and the duty is 4.3%.
The Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule divides heading 5603 into 42 tariff lines; the duty is 4.3%.
In the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, heading 5603 covers 11 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of Canada divides heading 5603 into 10 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Mexican Tariff (TIGIE), heading 5603 covers 10 tariff lines and the duty is between 10% and 35%.
The Brazilian Tariff (NCM/TEC) divides heading 5603 into 40 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 26% (average 22.6%). 4 of them are duty-free.
In the Argentine Tariff (NCM-SIM), heading 5603 covers 230 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 18%. 4 of them are duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of Peru divides heading 5603 into 9 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 6% (average 4.7%). 2 of them are duty-free.
In the Working Tariff Document of New Zealand, heading 5603 covers 16 tariff lines and the duty is 5%.
The Customs Tariff Schedules of Japan divides heading 5603 into 47 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 4.3% (average 3.6%). 8 of them are duty-free.
In the Customs Import Tariff of Taiwan, heading 5603 covers 16 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 5%. 8 of them are duty-free.
The GCC Common Customs Tariff divides heading 5603 into 40 tariff lines; the duty is 5%.
In the Swiss Customs Tariff (Tares), heading 5603 covers 8 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of Norway divides heading 5603 into 8 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff of North Macedonia, heading 5603 covers 18 tariff lines and the duty is between 4.3% and 10%.
The ECOWAS Common External Tariff (Nigeria) divides heading 5603 into 8 tariff lines; the duty is 20%.
In 2024, countries exported heading 5603 goods worth US$18bn (+1.7% year on year).
The largest exporter was China (US$4bn), followed by Germany.
The biggest buyer was the United States, with imports of US$2bn.
The United Kingdom ranked 19th among 165 exporters with US$216m.
The United Kingdom imported US$554m.
Legal 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.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for nonwovens, whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated?
Nonwovens, whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated fall under HS heading 5603, part of chapter 56, in section XI of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on nonwovens, whether or not impregnated, coated… in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 5603 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on nonwovens, whether or not impregnated, coated… in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 5603 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4.3%. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most nonwovens, whether or not impregnated, coated…?
China, with US$4bn in 2024 (23.7% of world exports).