8448.31.00.00 - Card clothing

This HTS category, 8448.31.00.00, specifically covers "card clothing." Card clothing refers to the flexible material, typically made of wire or other resilient materials, that is attached to the cylinders and rollers of textile machinery, particularly carding machines. Its primary function is to tease, separate, and align textile fibers during the preparatory stages of yarn production, effectively preparing them for spinning.

Distinguishing this category from its sibling, 8448.32.00, is crucial. While 8448.32.00 encompasses "parts of machines for preparing textile fibers, other than card clothing," this heading is reserved solely for the specialized surface material used in carding. Other related items at this level, such as spindles and flyers (8448.33.00.00), are distinct components used in later spinning processes and serve different mechanical functions.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS structure, there are no further subcategories. Therefore, classification within 8448.31.00.00 is dependent on the item meeting the definition of card clothing and its intended use with textile machinery of headings 8444, 8445, 8446, or 8447, or their auxiliary machinery. Specific examples include metallic card clothing, fillet card clothing, and brush card clothing, all designed for the surface treatment of fibers.