7201.10.00.00 - Nonalloy pig iron containing by weight 0.5 percent or less of phosphorus

This HTS category, 7201.10.00.00, specifically classifies nonalloy pig iron. Pig iron itself is a primary form of iron, produced directly from a blast furnace, and characterized by its high carbon content and impurity levels. Within this category, the critical defining characteristic is the phosphorus content, which must be 0.5 percent or less by weight. This material is typically cast into pigs, blocks, or other primary forms, and serves as a fundamental raw material for subsequent steelmaking processes.

It is essential to distinguish this classification from its sibling category, 7201.20.00.00, which covers nonalloy pig iron with a phosphorus content exceeding 0.5 percent by weight. The threshold of 0.5 percent phosphorus is the sole determinant for placement between these two categories. Another related category, 7201.50, encompasses alloy pig iron and spiegeleisen, which are distinct due to the intentional addition of alloying elements or higher manganese content, respectively, differentiating them from the nonalloy nature of the pig iron classified here.

As this HTS code represents a leaf node within the classification system, there are no further subdivisions. Therefore, classification under 7201.10.00.00 relies solely on confirming that the product is indeed pig iron, is nonalloyed, and contains by weight no more than 0.5 percent of phosphorus. Examples of its use include being remelted for the production of various cast iron products or refined further into steel.