6903.20.00.00 - Containing by weight more than 50 percent of alumina (Al2O3) or of a mixture or compound of alumina and of silica (SiO2)

HTS code 6903.20.00.00 encompasses refractory ceramic goods characterized by their composition. Specifically, these articles must contain, by weight, more than 50 percent of alumina (Al2O3) or a mixture or compound of alumina and silica (SiO2). This classification applies to a variety of manufactured items utilized in high-temperature industrial processes, such as retorts, crucibles, muffles, nozzles, plugs, supports, cupels, tubes, pipes, sheaths, rods, and slide gates, provided they meet the specified alumina and silica content.

This category is distinguished from its sibling, 6903.10.00.00, which covers similar refractory ceramic goods that instead contain by weight more than 50 percent of free carbon. It also differs from the "Other" category, 6903.90.00, which serves as a residual classification for refractory ceramic goods not specifically enumerated in the preceding subheadings of 6903. Therefore, the decisive factor for classification under 6903.20.00.00 is the predominant presence of alumina or alumina-silica compounds.

As a leaf node within the HTS, HTS code 6903.20.00.00 does not have further subcategories. Classification within this code is contingent upon the accurate determination of the material composition, particularly the percentage of alumina and silica. Practical classification will involve reviewing chemical analysis data for imported articles to confirm they meet the threshold for alumina or alumina-silica content as stipulated in the description.