6502.00.60 - Bleached or colored

This HTS classification, 6502.00.60, covers hat shapes, plaited or assembled from strips of vegetable fibers, unspun fibrous vegetable materials, paper yarn, or any combination thereof. These shapes are not blocked to shape, do not have made brims, and are neither lined nor trimmed. Crucially, the shapes within this category are specifically distinguished by being either bleached or colored. This means that if a hat shape meets the criteria of being plaited or assembled from the specified materials and is neither blocked, lined, nor trimmed, its classification hinges on its color treatment.

This category is distinct from its sibling, 6502.00.40.00, which covers similar hat shapes that are *not* bleached and *not* colored. Therefore, the presence or absence of bleaching or coloring is the key differentiator at this level. For instance, a plain, uncolored plaited straw hat shape would fall under 6502.00.40.00, while an identical shape that has undergone a bleaching process or been dyed would be classified under 6502.00.60.

Within this "bleached or colored" category, further subdivisions exist to refine the classification based on material composition. The subcategories are 6502.00.60.30 for hat shapes made primarily of paper, and 6502.00.60.60 for "Other" hat shapes made of vegetable fibers or other specified materials that are bleached or colored but do not meet the specific criteria for paper. This tiered approach ensures accurate tariff application by considering both the color treatment and the primary material of the unshaped headwear components.