8422.30.91.80 - Machines for opening, filling and closing bags

This HTS category, 8422.30.91.80, specifically covers machinery designed for the processes of opening, filling, and subsequently closing bags. This includes equipment that prepares a bag for filling, dispenses the product into the bag, and then seals it, preparing it for subsequent handling, storage, or transport. The primary function is the integrated operation of these three distinct steps on bags.

It is important to distinguish this category from its siblings. For instance, 8422.30.91.85 pertains to machines that not only fill and seal bags but also form them from a web of material, often referred to as form-fill-seal machines. Similarly, 8422.30.91.86 focuses on machinery for processing boxes, not bags. The key differentiator for 8422.30.91.80 lies in its exclusive application to pre-formed or supplied bags and its combined functionality of opening, filling, and closing.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS classification system, there are no further subcategories under 8422.30.91.80. Therefore, the classification relies on a precise interpretation of the phrase "opening, filling and closing bags" and its practical application to the machinery in question. Examples falling within this category would typically include machines that automatically open a previously manufactured bag, a filling mechanism that dispenses solids, liquids, or powders, and a sealing apparatus that closes the bag, such as by heat sealing, stapling, or adhesive application.