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    0505.10.00

    Feathers of a kind used for stuffing; down

    This code covers feathers and down, typically used for stuffing, and also includes skins with feathers attached. Importers should use this code for these animal products, noting that while generally free of duty, imports are subject to specific U.S. restrictions and quotas, as detailed in the chapter notes, particularly regarding wild bird feathers and skins.

    Feathers of a kind used for stuffing; down

    Detailed information for HTS Code 0505.10.00

    AI Summary

    This section of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule covers products of animal origin not elsewhere specified, specifically dealing with feathers and down used for stuffing. Code 0505.10.00 applies to feathers and down that have been cleaned, disinfected, or preserved, but not further processed. Statistical suffixes further specify the type of feather/down and whether it meets certain testing regulations (ASTM D4522, IDFB) or is categorized as ‘other’ – choose the suffix that accurately reflects the product’s characteristics and testing compliance if applicable. The statistical suffixes differentiate between feathers and down, and whether they meet specific industry standards or are categorized as other.

    ChapterChapter 5 - Products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included
    SectionSection I - Live Animals; Animal Products

    Duty snapshot

    Quick reference for the duty outcomes tied to this HTS line.

    General Duty

    Free

    Standard trade partners (NTR)

    Special Duty

    N/A

    Eligible FTA or preference programs

    The general duty rate for HTS code 0505.10.00 and all its subdivisions (0505.10.00.50, 0505.10.00.55, 0505.10.00.60, and 0505.10.00.65) is free. This means no duty is assessed on import, regardless of origin. A special rate or FTA benefit is not specified, implying standard trade rules apply. All imports under this code must be reported in kilograms (kg). These rates apply uniformly to feathers and down, whether meeting specific ASTM standards (subdivisions .50 and .55) or categorized as 'other' (.60 and .65).

    Rate of Duty (Column 2): 20%

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    Code subdivisions

    0505.10.00.50

    Skins and other parts of birds, with their feathers or down, feathers and parts of feathers (whether or not with trimmed edges) and down, not further worked than cleaned, disinfected or treated for preservation; powder and waste of feathers or parts of feathers: > Feathers of a kind used for stuffing; down > Meeting with ASTM D4522, Section 2.2 IDFB Testing Regulations, Part 2, Sections 2.2, 2.3, Part 7 and Part 11-B: > Feathers

    0505.10.00.55

    Skins and other parts of birds, with their feathers or down, feathers and parts of feathers (whether or not with trimmed edges) and down, not further worked than cleaned, disinfected or treated for preservation; powder and waste of feathers or parts of feathers: > Feathers of a kind used for stuffing; down > Meeting with ASTM D4522, Section 2.2 IDFB Testing Regulations, Part 2, Sections 2.2, 2.3, Part 7 and Part 11-B: > Down

    0505.10.00.60

    Skins and other parts of birds, with their feathers or down, feathers and parts of feathers (whether or not with trimmed edges) and down, not further worked than cleaned, disinfected or treated for preservation; powder and waste of feathers or parts of feathers: > Feathers of a kind used for stuffing; down > Other: > Feathers

    0505.10.00.65

    Skins and other parts of birds, with their feathers or down, feathers and parts of feathers (whether or not with trimmed edges) and down, not further worked than cleaned, disinfected or treated for preservation; powder and waste of feathers or parts of feathers: > Feathers of a kind used for stuffing; down > Other: > Down

    Chapter & section notes

    Chapter notes

    Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes CHAPTER 5 PRODUCTS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN, NOT ELSEWHERE SPECIFIED OR INCLUDED I 5-1 Notes: 1. This chapter does not cover: (a) Edible products (other than guts, bladders and stomachs of animals, whole and pieces thereof, and animal blood, liquid or dried); (b) Hides or skins (including furskins) other than goods of heading 0505 and parings and similar waste of raw hides or skins of heading 0511 (chapter 41 or 43); (c) Animal textile materials, other than horsehair and horsehair waste (section XI); or (d) Prepared knots or tufts for broom or brush making (heading 9603). 2. For the purposes of heading 0501, the sorting of hair by length (provided the root ends and tip ends, respectively, are not arranged together) shall be deemed not to constitute working. 3. Throughout the tariff schedule, elephant, hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal and wild boar tusks, rhinoceros horns and the teeth of all animals are regarded as "ivory." 4. Throughout the tariff schedule, the expression "horsehair" means hair of the manes or tails of equine or bovine animals. Heading 0511 covers, inter alia, horsehair and horsehair waste, whether or not put up as a layer with or without supporting material. Additional U.S. Notes: 1. (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this note, the importation of the feathers or skin of any bird is hereby prohibited. Such prohibition shall apply to the feathers or skin of any bird: (i) Whether raw or processed; (ii) Whether the whole plumage or skin or any part of either; (iii) Whether or not attached to a whole bird or any part thereof; and (iv) Whether or not forming part of another article. (b) Paragraph (a) shall not apply: (i) In respect of any of the following birds (other than any such bird which, whether or not raised in captivity, is a wild bird): chickens (including hens and roosters), turkeys, guineas, geese, ducks, pigeons, ostriches, rheas, English ring-necked pheasants and pea fowl; (ii) To any importation for scientific or educational purposes; (iii) To the importation of fully manufactured artificial flies used for fishing; (iv) To the importation of birds which are classifiable under subheading 9804.00.55; and (v) To the importation of live birds. (c) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), there may be entered in each calendar year the following quotas of skins bearing feathers: (i) For use in the manufacture of artificial flies used for fishing; (A) not more than 5,000 skins of grey jungle fowl (Gallus sonneratii), and (B) not more than 1,000 skins of mandarin duck (Dendronessa galericulata); and Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes I 5-2 Additional U.S. Notes: (con.) (ii) For use in the manufacture of artificial flies used for fishing, or for millinery purposes, not more than 45,000 skins, in the aggregate, of the following species of pheasant: Lady Amherst pheasant (Chrysolophus amerstiae), golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus), silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), Reeves pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii), blue-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon auritum) and brown-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) 1/ For the purposes of these quotas, any part of a skin which has been severed shall be considered to be a whole skin. (d) No article specified in paragraph (c) shall be entered except under a permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior.The Secretary of the Interior shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes and provisions of paragraph (c) (including regulations providing for equitable allocation among qualified applicants of the import quotas established by such provisions).Whenever the Secretary of the Interior finds that the wild supply of any species mentioned in paragraph (c) is threatened with serious reduction or with extinction, he shall prescribe regulations which provide (to such extent and for such period as he deems necessary to meet such threat): (i) In the case of grey jungle fowl or mandarin duck, for the reduction of the applicable import quota; or (ii) In the case of any species of pheasant, for the reduction of the import quota established for pheasants, for the establishment of a subquota for such species of pheasant, or for the elimination of such species from the import quota for pheasant, or any combination thereof. The authority granted to the Secretary of the Interior by the preceding sentence to reduce any import quota shall include authority to eliminate such quota.2/ (e) Any article of a kind the importation of which is prohibited or subjected to a quota by paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) above, and which is in the United States shall be presumed for the purposes of seizure and forfeiture to have been imported in violation of law and shall be seized and forfeited under the customs laws unless such presumption is satisfactorily rebutted; except that such presumption shall not apply to articles in actual use for personal adornment or for scientific or educational purposes. Any article so forfeited may (in the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury and under such regulations as he may prescribe) (1) be placed with any agency of the Federal Government or of any State government, or any society or museum for exhibition or scientific or educational purposes, or (2) be destroyed. (f) Nothing in this note shall be construed to repeal the provision of the act of March 4, 1913, chapter 145 (37 Stat. 847), or the act of July 3, 1918 (40 Stat. 755), or any other law of the United States, now of force, intended for the protection or preservation of birds within the United States. If on investigation by the district director of Customs before seizure, or before trial for forfeiture, or if at such trial if such seizure has been made, it shall be made to appear to the district director of Customs, or to the prosecuting officer of the Government, as the case may be, that no illegal importation of such feathers has been made, but that the possession, acquisition or purchase of such feathers is or has been made in violation of the provisions of the act of March 4, 1913, chapter 145 (37 Stat. 847), or the act of July 3, 1918 (40 Stat. 755), or any other law of the United States, now of force, intended for the protection or preservation of birds within the United States, it shall be the duty of the district director of Customs, or such prosecuting officer, as the case may be, to report the facts to the proper officials of the United States, or State or Territory charged with the duty of enforcing such laws. 1/ Brown-eared pheasant added to the List of Endangered Foreign Fish and Wildlife, Appendix A of 50 CFR 17, Nov. 24, 1970, effective date Dec. 2, 1970 (35 F.R. 18319, 18321). 2/The Secretary of Interior repealed regulations which implemented the feather import quotas contained in the Tariff Classification Act of 1962, effective on or after November 16, 1993 (58 FR 60524-60525). Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes I 5-3

    Section notes

    SECTION I LIVE ANIMALS; ANIMAL PRODUCTS I-1 Notes 1. Any reference in this section to a particular genus or species of an animal, except where the context otherwise requires, includes a reference to the young of that genus or species. 2. Except where the context otherwise requires, throughout the tariff schedule any reference to "dried" products also covers products which have been dehydrated, evaporated or freeze-dried. Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes I-2 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States Revision 29 (2025) Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes

    Latest update

    Last updated

    November 15, 2025

    Revised every January & July

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