4202.12.40.00 - Of cotton (369)

This HTS classification, 4202.12.40.00, specifically identifies travel goods and similar containers with an outer surface made of textile materials, when those textile materials are derived from vegetable fibers and are not of a pile or tufted construction. This category encompasses items such as trunks, suitcases, vanity cases, attache cases, briefcases, school satchels, and other similar containers designed for travel or carrying personal effects. The defining characteristic is the primary use of cotton or other vegetable fibers for the exterior, excluding materials like silk, wool, or synthetic fibers which would fall under different subheadings.

The distinction between this category and its sibling, 4202.12.60.00 (Other), lies in the precise material composition of the textile outer surface. While this subheading is exclusively for vegetable fiber constructions like cotton, the "Other" category would capture textile-surfaced goods made from other types of fibers, or potentially those with mixed fiber content where vegetable fibers are not the predominant or sole vegetable component. Therefore, a careful examination of the textile material composition is crucial for accurate classification.

As this is a leaf node in the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Classification at this level is dependent on meeting all preceding criteria: being a type of trunk, suitcase, or similar container, having an outer surface of textile materials, and that textile material being exclusively of vegetable fibers and not of pile or tufted construction.