7207.20.00 - Containing by weight 0.25 percent or more of carbon

This HTS category, 7207.20.00, covers semifinished products of iron or nonalloy steel that contain a carbon content of 0.25 percent or more by weight. These are intermediate forms of steel, such as blooms, billets, and slabs, which have undergone initial shaping processes like casting or hot rolling but require further processing, such as finishing, to become final products like bars, rods, or plates. The key defining characteristic for inclusion in this category is the elevated carbon content, which imparts specific metallurgical properties to the steel.

This category is distinguished from its sibling, 7207.10.00 ("Containing by weight less than 0.25 percent of carbon"), by this precise carbon threshold. While both represent semifinished steel products, the higher carbon content in 7207.20.00 signifies steel intended for applications requiring greater hardness, strength, or wear resistance, as opposed to the more ductile or weldable characteristics of lower carbon steels.

Within this category, further subdivisions are made based on the cross-sectional shape of the semifinished product. Subcategories exist for those of rectangular (including square) cross section, those of circular cross section, and any remaining "other" shapes. These distinctions are important for manufacturing processes and subsequent use, guiding importers and exporters to the most precise classification for their goods.