7209.18.60.20 - Annealed

This HTS category, 7209.18.60.20, specifically covers cold-rolled flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel that are of a width of 600 mm or more, are in coils, have a thickness of less than 0.5 mm, and have undergone an annealing process. Annealing is a heat treatment that alters the microstructure of the steel, resulting in improved ductility and reduced hardness, making it easier to further process or form. These characteristics are crucial for applications where the steel needs to be bent, stamped, or shaped without cracking.

This classification is distinguished from its sibling category, 7209.18.60.90 ("Other"), by the specific post-rolling treatment applied. While both share the same base material, width, cold-rolling state, coil form, and thickness, the ".20" subcategory is exclusively for products that have been annealed. The ".90" category would encompass other cold-rolled products in coils with these dimensions and thickness that have *not* undergone annealing, or have received a different type of heat treatment not specifically defined elsewhere at this level.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Therefore, classification under 7209.18.60.20 relies on a precise determination that the product meets all the preceding criteria: being flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel, 600 mm or wider, cold-rolled, in coils, under 0.5 mm in thickness, and specifically annealed. The absence of further subdivision emphasizes the finality of classification at this specific level based on these defined physical and processing attributes.