4101.50 - Whole hides and skins, of a weight exceeding 16 kg:

HTS code 4101.50 encompasses whole hides and skins originating from bovine (including buffalo) or equine animals. These raw materials are specifically characterized by their weight, exceeding 16 kilograms per hide or skin. The preservation methods for these hides and skins can vary, including being fresh, salted, dried, limed, or pickled, but they must not have undergone tanning or further preparation beyond these initial stages. The "whether or not dehaired or split" clause indicates that these initial processing steps are permissible within this category.

This category is distinguished from its siblings by the explicit weight criterion. HTS code 4101.20 covers whole hides and skins that are unsplit and weigh within specific lower thresholds (up to 8 kg when dried, 10 kg when dry-salted, or 16 kg when fresh, wet-salted, or otherwise preserved). HTS code 4101.90, conversely, covers "other" parts such as butts, bends, and bellies, which are typically subdivisions of larger hides rather than whole skins meeting the weight requirement of 4101.50.

Within HTS code 4101.50, further subdivisions exist to refine the classification based on pre-treatment. The subcategory 4101.50.10 specifically addresses hides and skins that have not undergone any form of pre-tanning. The subsequent "Other" category would then account for those whole hides and skins exceeding 16 kg that have received some form of pre-tanning treatment but are not yet fully tanned or further prepared according to the broader chapter definitions.