4101.20.10.20 - Of equine animals

This HTS classification, 4101.20.10.20, specifically covers whole, unsplit hides and skins of equine animals. These hides and skins must not exceed certain weight limits when presented in various preserved states: not more than 8 kg when simply dried, 10 kg when dry-salted, or 16 kg when fresh, wet-salted, or otherwise preserved. Crucially, the material at this stage is still considered raw; it has not undergone tanning, parchment dressing, or any further preparation that would alter its fundamental state from that of a raw hide or skin.

This category is distinguished from its sibling, 4101.20.10.10, by the species of animal. While both fall under the umbrella of "whole hides and skins, unsplit" within the broader category of raw bovine or equine hides and skins, 4101.20.10.10 applies to bovine animals (including buffalo), whereas this classification is exclusively for equine animals such as horses, donkeys, and mules. The weight limitations and preservation methods are common to both sibling categories, focusing on the initial preparation and presentation of the raw material.

As a leaf node in the HTS structure, this classification does not have further subcategories. This means that once a hide or skin meets the criteria of being from an equine animal, whole, unsplit, and within the specified weight and preservation parameters, it is definitively classified under this code. The classification hinges on the physical attributes of the raw hide and its immediate post-slaughter processing, before any tanning or significant processing occurs.