7606.12.60.00 - Clad

This HTS category, 7606.12.60.00, specifically covers rectangular (including square) plates, sheets, and strip of aluminum alloys that are over 0.2 mm thick and have been clad. Cladding involves applying a layer of a different metal, typically for improved properties such as corrosion resistance, decorative appearance, or specific functional characteristics. The base material is an aluminum alloy, and the applied layer constitutes a significant feature for classification under this subheading.

The distinction between this category and its sibling, 7606.12.30 ("Not clad"), is crucial. While both subheadings fall under rectangular plates, sheets, and strip of aluminum alloys exceeding 0.2 mm in thickness, this particular category exclusively applies to products that have undergone a cladding process. Products classified under 7606.12.30 would be solid aluminum alloy without any additional metallic layers applied to their surface.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Therefore, classification under 7606.12.60.00 depends solely on the material being a rectangular aluminum alloy plate, sheet, or strip of the specified thickness, and crucially, exhibiting a clad construction. The nature of the cladding material itself is not a primary factor for distinction at this level, but the presence of cladding is the defining characteristic.