5911.32.00.30 - Paper-forming fabrics

This HTS category, 5911.32.00.30, specifically designates "Paper-forming fabrics" that weigh 650 grams per square meter or more. These fabrics are essential components in the papermaking process, designed to facilitate the formation and drainage of paper pulp. Their construction and weight are crucial for their performance in machinery like cylinder machines, fourdriniers, and press sections.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings, "Press felts" (5911.32.00.10) and "Dryer felts and dryer fabrics" (5911.32.00.20), is primarily a matter of their specific functional placement within the paper machine. While all are textile articles for papermaking and meet the weight requirement, paper-forming fabrics are specifically designed for the initial pulp dewatering stages, whereas press felts are for subsequent water extraction under pressure, and dryer fabrics facilitate drying through heated cylinders. The residual sibling category, "Other" (5911.32.00.80), serves as a catch-all for paper-forming fabrics that do not fit the specific definitions of press or dryer felts.

As this is a leaf node, there are no further subcategories. Therefore, classification under 5911.32.00.30 hinges on the material composition, construction, and the primary intended use in the formation stage of paper production, alongside the explicit weight criterion of 650 g/m2 or more. Examples include specialized woven or non-woven fabrics that provide dimensional stability and controlled drainage for wet paper web formation.