5911.32.00.20 - Dryer felts and dryer fabrics

This HTS classification covers dryer felts and dryer fabrics specifically designed for use in industrial machinery, particularly those involved in drying processes within industries such as papermaking or asbestos-cement manufacturing. These textile articles are characterized by their construction and weight, being specifically noted as weighing 650 g/m² or more. Their primary function is to facilitate the drying of materials by acting as permeable belts that move through heated chambers, absorbing moisture and transferring the product.

Differentiating this category from its siblings, dryer felts and fabrics are distinct from "Press felts" (5911.32.00.10), which are used in the pressing stages of paper production for water removal. Similarly, they are not classified as "Paper-forming fabrics" (5911.32.00.30), which are the woven screens that form the initial sheet of paper in a paper machine. While "Other" (5911.32.00.80) serves as a residual category, this specific subheading precisely identifies dryer felts and fabrics based on their function and weight.

As a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories beneath 5911.32.00.20. Therefore, classification into this code is definitive for dryer felts and dryer fabrics meeting the specified weight criteria and intended for industrial drying applications, such as those found in the paper industry or for processing asbestos-cement. The key distinguishing factor remains their role in the drying phase of a manufacturing process.