8446 - Weaving machines (looms):

HTS Code 8446 encompasses a broad category of weaving machines, commonly referred to as looms. These machines are specifically designed for the interlacing of warp and weft yarns to create fabric. The scope of this heading includes all types of looms, regardless of their specific mechanism or intended application in textile production.

This category is situated within Section XVI of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, which covers machinery and mechanical appliances. Within Chapter 84, it is grouped with other industrial machinery. It is important to distinguish this heading from other machinery classifications that might involve yarn manipulation but not the direct interlacing of warp and weft to form a woven textile. For instance, knitting machines or lace-making machines, while textile machinery, would fall under different headings.

The subcategories within 8446 differentiate the looms based on their operational mechanics and the width of the fabric they can produce. Heading 8446.10.00 specifically covers machines for weaving fabrics with a maximum width not exceeding 30 centimeters, often utilized for narrower items like ribbons or tapes. The subsequent subheadings differentiate between shuttle-type looms for wider fabrics, which use a shuttle to carry the weft yarn, and the shuttleless type, which employ more advanced mechanisms for increased speed and efficiency in producing fabrics exceeding 30 centimeters in width.