4403.96.01.23 - Pulpwood

This HTS category, 4403.96.01.23, specifically classifies pulpwood. Pulpwood refers to softwood or hardwood logs that are primarily intended for use in the manufacture of wood pulp, which is the raw material for paper and other cellulose-based products. The material at this classification level is wood in its rough form, stripped of bark or sapwood, or roughly squared. The species covered are limited to birch (Betula spp.) when not specifically classified under other subdivisions within 4403.

Within this level, the distinction from sibling categories is crucial. Unlike 4403.96.01.27, which covers poles, piles, and posts (typically round or squared timbers with specific structural applications), this category is exclusively for wood destined for pulping. Furthermore, it differentiates from the broader "Other" category at 4403.96.01.30, which would encompass any other rough-cut birch wood not falling into the pulpwood or structural timber categories.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories. Classification at this level is determined by the material (birch wood), its initial processing (rough, debarked, or squared), and its intended use as pulpwood. Therefore, any rough-cut birch logs intended for the production of wood pulp will be classified under 4403.96.01.23.