5003.00 - Silk waste (including cocoons unsuitable for reeling, yarn waste and garnetted stock):

This HTS category, 5003.00, encompasses various forms of silk waste. It specifically includes raw silk material that is unsuitable for the primary process of reeling to produce yarn. This covers items such as defective or damaged cocoons, remnants from silk production processes (yarn waste), and pre-consumer material that has been processed for re-use (garnetted stock). The defining characteristic of this category is that the silk material is not in a form ready for direct textile manufacturing into finished goods but rather requires further processing.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings at the Chapter 50 level, which deals with raw silk and silk waste, is crucial. While other categories within Chapter 50 might cover raw silk in various states of preparation for reeling or manufactured silk articles, 5003.00 is specifically for material that has been deemed unsuitable for standard reeling. This differentiates it from unprocessed cocoons intended for reeling or finished silk products.

Within HTS 5003.00, further subclassification is provided to differentiate the physical state of the silk waste. The subcategory 5003.00.10.00 covers silk waste that has not undergone carding or combing, meaning it remains in a more raw, tangled state. Conversely, 5003.00.90.00 encompasses all other forms of silk waste not specifically categorized as not carded or combed, offering a broader classification for residual waste materials.