4501.10.00.00 - Natural cork, raw or simply prepared

This HTS category, 4501.10.00.00, specifically covers natural cork in its raw state or after simple preparation. This includes cork that has been harvested from cork oak trees and has undergone basic processing such as cleaning, rough cutting, or debarking, but has not been further manufactured into specific articles. Examples include bales of raw cork bark, agglomerated cork in sheets or blocks not yet shaped into final products, and cork granules that are not yet bound or molded into an article.

This classification is distinct from its sibling category, 4501.90 ("Other"), which encompasses waste cork, as well as crushed, granulated, or ground cork that is intended for further processing but not yet classified as a finished article. While both deal with natural cork, 4501.10.00.00 focuses on the less processed forms, whereas 4501.90 is a catch-all for processed cork materials that do not fit into more specific finished product headings.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories. Therefore, the classification criteria for 4501.10.00.00 rely on identifying the material as natural cork and ensuring it has not undergone significant manufacturing beyond basic preparation or processing into waste or granular forms that fall under the "Other" heading. The key is the absence of further transformation into specific cork articles.