4804.52.00.40 - Base stock for packaging

This HTS subcategory, 4804.52.00.40, specifically covers base stock for packaging. These are types of uncoated kraft paper and paperboard, characterized by their weight of 225 g/m² or more, and crucially, they are bleached uniformly throughout the mass. A defining technical characteristic is that more than 95 percent by weight of their total fiber content must consist of wood fibers obtained through a chemical process. The "base stock for packaging" designation implies a primary purpose in the manufacturing of flexible packaging materials, such as paper bags, sacks, or liners for other packaging components, where the paper's strength and uniformity are paramount.

This specific classification is distinguished from its sibling category, 4804.52.00.50 ("Other"), by its defined end-use as a base stock for packaging. While both fall under the broader description of bleached, chemically processed kraft paper and paperboard weighing 225 g/m² or more, the ".40" designation narrows the scope to materials intended for direct integration into packaging production. The ".50" category would encompass other applications of this type of bleached kraft paper and paperboard not specifically designated as packaging base stock.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Classification at this level relies on meeting all the preceding criteria: uncoated kraft paper or paperboard, weighing 225 g/m² or more, uniformly bleached, with over 95% chemically processed wood fiber content, and its intended use as a base stock for packaging. Therefore, the key distinguishing factor for this classification is its explicit role in the packaging industry as a fundamental raw material.