8464.20.01 - Grinding or polishing machines

HTS 8464.20.01 encompasses grinding or polishing machines specifically designed for working mineral materials. This category includes machinery utilized for abrading, buffing, honing, or smoothing surfaces of materials such as stone, ceramics, concrete, asbestos-cement, and similar mineral substances. The primary function of these machines is the removal of material to achieve a desired finish, shape, or dimension.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings, HTS 8464.10.01 covers sawing machines, which are primarily used for cutting or dividing mineral materials. Therefore, while both operate on similar materials, the fundamental operation of 8464.20.01 is abrasive material removal for finishing, rather than material separation for division.

Within HTS 8464.20, further subdivisions exist to refine classification. HTS 8464.20.01.10 specifically addresses machines for working glass, reflecting specialized designs and applications within the broader grinding and polishing context. The alternative subdivision, HTS 8464.20.01.20, covers all other grinding or polishing machines for mineral materials not specifically enumerated under the glass-working designation.