4418.81.00.00 - Glue-laminated timber (glulam)

This HTS category, 4418.81.00.00, specifically covers glue-laminated timber, commonly known as glulam. Glulam is an engineered wood product made by bonding together individual pieces of lumber with adhesives. These pieces are selected for their strength and are oriented to create structural elements of significant size and load-bearing capacity. Glulam is widely used in construction for beams, arches, and columns due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and architectural versatility.

Within the broader classification of engineered structural timber products, 4418.81.00.00 is distinguished from its siblings by its manufacturing process. While cross-laminated timber (CLT, 4418.82.00.00) involves layers of lumber oriented at 90-degree angles to each other, and I-beams (4418.83.00.00) have a distinct I-shaped cross-section, glulam is characterized by parallel laminations bonded together to form solid structural members. The "Other" category (4418.89.00.00) serves as a residual for any engineered structural timber products not specifically listed.

As a leaf node, this classification does not have further subcategories. Therefore, the focus for classification under 4418.81.00.00 remains on identifying products that meet the definition of glue-laminated timber, irrespective of the specific species of wood used or the final form of the glulam element, provided it is intended for structural applications.