Chapter 59: Impregnated, coated, covered or laminated textile fabrics; textile articles of a kind suitable for industrial use

1. Except where the context otherwise requires, for the purposes of this chapter, the expression ‘textile fabrics’ applies only to the woven fabrics of Chapters 50 to 55 and headings 5803 and 5806, the braids and ornamental trimmings in the piece of heading 5808 and the knitted or crocheted fabrics of headings 6002 to 6006.

2. Heading 5903 applies to:

1. (a) textile fabrics, impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with plastics, whatever the weight per square metre and whatever the nature of the plastic material (compact or cellular), other than:

   1. (1) fabrics in which the impregnation, coating or covering cannot be seen with the naked eye (usually, Chapters 50 to 55, 58 or 60); for the purpose of this provision, no account should be taken of any resulting change of colour;

   2. (2) products which cannot, without fracturing, be bent manually around a cylinder of a diameter of 7 mm, at a temperature between 15 and 30 °C (usually, Chapter 39);

   3. (3) products in which the textile fabric is either completely embedded in plastics or entirely coated or covered on both sides with such material, 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);

   4. (4) fabrics partially coated or partially covered with plastics and bearing designs resulting from these treatments (usually, Chapters 50 to 55, 58 or 60);

   5. (5) plates, sheets or strip of cellular plastics, combined with textile fabric, where the textile fabric is present merely for reinforcing purposes (Chapter 39); or

   6. (6) textile products of heading 5811;

2. (b) fabrics made from yarn, strip or the like, impregnated, coated, covered or sheathed with plastics, of heading 5604.

3. For the purposes of heading 5903, ‘textile fabrics laminated with plastics’ means products made by the assembly of one or more layers of fabrics with one or more sheets or film of plastics which are combined by any process that bonds the layers together, whether or not the sheets or film of plastics are visible to the naked eye in the cross-section.

4. For the purposes of heading 5905, the expression ‘textile wallcoverings’ applies to products in rolls, of a width of not less than 45 cm, suitable for wall or ceiling decoration, consisting of a textile surface which has been fixed on a backing or has been treated on the back (impregnated or coated to permit pasting).

This heading does not, however, apply to wallcoverings consisting of textile flock or dust fixed directly on a backing of paper (heading 4814) or on a textile backing (generally, heading 5907).

5. For the purposes of heading 5906, the expression ‘rubberised textile fabrics’ means:

1. (a) textile fabrics impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with rubber:

   • weighing not more than 1500 g/m², or

   • weighing more than 1500 g/m² and containing more than 50 % by weight of textile material;

2. (b) fabrics made from yarn, strip or the like, impregnated, coated, covered or sheathed with rubber, of heading 5604; and

3. (c) fabrics composed of parallel textile yarns agglomerated with rubber, irrespective of their weight per square metre.

This heading does not, however, apply to plates, sheets or strip of cellular rubber, combined with textile fabric, where the textile fabric is present merely for reinforcing purposes (Chapter 40), or textile products of heading 5811.

6. Heading 5907 does not apply to:

1. (a) fabrics in which the impregnation, coating or covering cannot be seen with the naked eye (usually Chapters 50 to 55, 58 or 60); for the purpose of this provision, no account should be taken of any resulting change of colour;

2. (b) fabrics painted with designs (other than painted canvas being theatrical scenery, studio backcloths or the like);

3. (c) fabrics partially covered with flock, dust, powdered cork or the like and bearing designs resulting from these treatments. However, imitation pile fabrics remain classified in this heading;

4. (d) fabrics finished with normal dressings having a basis of amylaceous or similar substances;

5. (e) wood veneered on a backing of textile fabrics (heading 4408);

6. (f) natural or artificial abrasive powder or grain, on a backing of textile fabrics (heading 6805);

7. (g) agglomerated or reconstituted mica, on a backing of textile fabrics (heading 6814); or

8. (h) metal foil on a backing of textile fabrics (generally Section XIV or XV).

7. Heading 5910 does not apply to:

1. (a) transmission or conveyor belting, of textile material, of a thickness of less than 3 mm; or

2. (b) transmission or conveyor belts or belting of textile fabric impregnated, coated, covered or laminated with rubber or made from textile yarn or cord impregnated, coated, covered or sheathed with rubber (heading 4010).

8. Heading 5911 applies to the following goods, which do not fall in any other heading of Section XI:

1. (a) textile products in the piece, cut to length or simply cut to rectangular (including square) shape (other than those having the character of the products of headings 5908 to 5910), the following only:

   • textile fabrics, felt and felt-lined woven fabrics, coated, covered or laminated with rubber, leather or other material, of a kind used for card clothing, and similar fabrics of a kind used for other technical purposes, including narrow fabrics made of velvet impregnated with rubber, for covering weaving spindles (weaving beams),

   • bolting cloth,

   • filtering or straining cloth of a kind used in oil-presses or the like, of textile material or of human hair,

   • flat woven textile fabrics with multiple warp or weft, whether or not felted, impregnated or coated, of a kind used in machinery or for other technical purposes,

   • textile fabrics reinforced with metal, of a kind used for technical purposes,

   • cords, braids and the like, whether or not coated, impregnated or reinforced with metal, of a kind used in industry as packing or lubricating materials;

2. (b) textile articles (other than those of headings 5908 to 5910) of a kind used for technical purposes (for example, textile fabrics and felts, endless or fitted with linking devices, of a kind used in papermaking or similar machines (for example, for pulp or asbestos-cement), gaskets, washers, polishing discs and other machinery parts).