5911.31.00 - Weighing less than 650 g/m2

This HTS category, 5911.31.00, encompasses textile fabrics and felts specifically designed and manufactured for industrial applications, particularly within the paper-making industry and similar processes. These materials are characterized by their construction, which may involve weaving, knitting, or felting, and are intended for use in machinery that processes pulp or asbestos-cement. The defining physical characteristic for this subcategory is their weight, specifically those textile articles weighing less than 650 grams per square meter (g/m²).

This classification is distinguished from its sibling category, 5911.32.00, solely by the weight per unit area. While both categories relate to textile fabrics and felts for similar industrial purposes, 5911.31.00 pertains to lighter materials, whereas 5911.32.00 covers those weighing 650 g/m² or more. This weight threshold serves as a key differentiator for tariff purposes, reflecting potential differences in material density, weave structure, or manufacturing processes.

Within this classification, further subdivisions exist to account for the specific functional roles these lighter industrial fabrics play. The subcategories include "Press felts," utilized in the pressing stages of paper or board production; "Dryer felts and dryer fabrics," employed in the drying sections of papermaking machines; and "Paper-forming fabrics," used in the initial stages of sheet formation. An "Other" category is also provided for any specialized industrial textile articles falling within the weight criteria but not fitting the specific functional descriptions.