6502.00 - Hat shapes, plaited or made by assembling strips of any material, neither blocked to shape, nor with made brims, not lined, nor trimmed:

This HTS category, 6502.00, encompasses hat shapes that are formed by plaiting or assembling strips of various materials. Crucially, these hat shapes are neither blocked into a final form, nor do they possess made brims. Furthermore, they are not lined or trimmed. This classification focuses on the intermediate stages of hat production where the basic structure of the headgear is created from strips, but the final shaping and finishing are yet to occur.

Within Section XII, Chapter 65, which deals with Headgear and parts thereof, HTS code 6502.00 stands apart from completed headwear items that are ready for wear. Its siblings at the 01xx level, for instance, pertain to live animals, highlighting the vast difference in subject matter within the broader HTS structure. In essence, 6502.00 is for the unformed "body" of a hat made from plaited or assembled strips, distinguishing it from finished hats and other headwear components.

The subcategories under 6502.00 provide further distinction based on material composition. The primary subdivision, 6502.00.30, specifically covers hat shapes made from vegetable fibers, unspun fibrous vegetable materials, paper yarn, or any combination thereof. The residual category, 6502.00.90, serves as a catch-all for hat shapes of this nature made from any other materials not specified in the prior subdivision. This granular approach allows for precise classification based on the material of the assembled strips.