4419.12.00.00 - Chopsticks

This HTS category, 4419.12.00.00, specifically classifies chopsticks made of bamboo. Chopsticks are utensils designed for eating, typically consisting of a pair of slender sticks. Their primary function is to grip and lift food items to the mouth. This classification focuses exclusively on these eating utensils, distinguishing them by their material (bamboo) and form.

It is crucial to differentiate this category from its sibling, 4419.11.00.00, which covers bread boards, chopping boards, and similar flat wooden surfaces used for food preparation or serving. Unlike boards, chopsticks are individual eating implements. Another sibling, 4419.19, serves as a general "other" category for bamboo tableware and kitchenware not specifically enumerated elsewhere, reinforcing that chopsticks have their own distinct classification due to their widespread use and specific form.

As a leaf node within the HTS, 4419.12.00.00 does not have further subdivisions. This means that all bamboo chopsticks, regardless of slight variations in length, diameter, or decorative elements, will fall under this single code, provided they meet the general definition of chopsticks and are indeed made from bamboo. The classification criteria are therefore straightforward: bamboo construction and the form and function of a chopstick.