5102 - Fine or coarse animal hair, not carded or combed:

This HTS category, 5102, encompasses fine or coarse animal hair that has not undergone further processing such as carding or combing. This means it includes the raw, natural hair from various animals, in its state after shearing or shedding, but before it has been prepared for spinning into yarn or weaving into fabric. Examples include raw alpaca, vicuña, cashmere, mohair, and angora hair, as well as less refined animal fibers like goat hair, camel hair, and yak hair in their unworked state.

It is crucial to distinguish this category from those covering live animals (such as Chapters 0101 through 0105), which deal with the animals themselves, not their hair. Furthermore, this section specifically excludes hair that has been carded or combed, as those processed forms would fall under subsequent HTS headings within Chapter 51. The defining characteristic here is the "not carded or combed" qualifier, signifying the initial, unprocessed state of the hair.

Within this category, further distinctions are made based on the fineness or coarseness of the animal hair. Subcategories exist to segregate fine animal hair, which typically possesses a smaller diameter and greater softness, from coarse animal hair, which is generally thicker and more robust. This division is important for customs purposes as it often reflects different end-uses and market values for these materials.