6502.00.40.00 - Not bleached and not colored

This HTS subheading, 6502.00.40.00, covers hat shapes that are made by plaiting or assembling strips of various materials, specifically excluding those of straw or chip wood which fall under other headings. Crucially, these hat shapes are not yet blocked to their final form, do not possess made brims, and are either unlined or untrimmed. The primary distinguishing characteristic of this category is that the materials used for their construction are neither bleached nor colored, maintaining their natural appearance.

This category is distinct from its sibling, 6502.00.60, which encompasses hat shapes that have undergone bleaching or coloring processes. The absence of these treatments is the defining factor for classification under 6502.00.40.00. Furthermore, the hat shapes classified here are derived from vegetable fibers, unspun fibrous vegetable materials, or paper yarn, or any combination thereof. They are also specifically categorized as not being sewn.

As a leaf node, 6502.00.40.00 does not have further subcategories. Therefore, the classification hinges on the precise adherence to the criteria of being unbleached, uncolored, made from the specified materials, and assembled from strips without being blocked, having made brims, or being lined or trimmed. Examples would include rudimentary hat bases formed by weaving or interlacing natural fibers or paper strips in their raw, untreated state, prior to any significant shaping or embellishment.