5301.21.00.00 - Broken or scutched

This HTS category, 5301.21.00.00, specifically covers flax fibers that have undergone a process of breaking or scutching, but have not yet been spun into yarn. Breaking is a mechanical process that separates the flax fiber from the woody core of the flax plant. Scutching further cleans and separates the fibers. This stage represents a partially processed form of flax, moving beyond its raw state but not yet reaching the yarn stage.

This classification distinguishes itself from its sibling, 5301.29.00.00, which encompasses all other forms of processed flax fibers that are not spun and are not broken or scutched. Therefore, 5301.21.00.00 is reserved for those fibers where the characteristic operations of breaking and scutching are evident, differentiating them from flax that might have been hackled or otherwise processed in a manner not fitting the "broken or scutched" description.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS, there are no further subcategories. Classification into 5301.21.00.00 depends on the confirmation that the flax material has indeed undergone the breaking and scutching processes, and critically, that it remains in a state where it is not yet spun into yarn. This ensures accurate distinction from categories covering spun flax or other vegetable fibers.