7228.40.00.00 - Other bars and rods, not further worked than forged

This HTS category, 7228.40.00.00, encompasses "Other bars and rods, not further worked than forged." This means the items classified here are made of iron or steel, but specifically those that have undergone forging as their primary working process. Forging involves shaping metal using localized compressive forces, often through hammering or pressing, while the metal is heated. The resulting bars and rods are not subjected to further manufacturing processes such as rolling, drawing, or cold finishing after the forging operation.

To distinguish this category from its siblings, it is crucial to focus on the working process. Unlike bars and rods of high-speed steel (7228.10.00) or silico-manganese steel (7228.20), the primary alloying element is not the defining characteristic here; rather, it's the forging method of shaping. Furthermore, this category excludes products that are hot-rolled, hot-drawn, or extruded (falling under other sibling categories not fully listed), and those that have been cold-formed or cold-finished (7228.50). The key differentiator is that the forging process is the final shaping operation.

As a leaf node, 7228.40.00.00 does not have further subdivisions. Therefore, classification within this code relies on confirming that the item is indeed a bar or rod of iron or alloy steel, and that its final working process was forging, with no subsequent treatments like rolling, drawing, or cold finishing. Examples might include forged tool blanks or specialized components that are subsequently machined, but the initial shaping method is forging.