8487 - Machinery parts, not containing electrical connectors, insulators, coils, contacts or other electrical features, and not specified or included elsewhere in this chapter:

HTS Code 8487 encompasses a broad range of mechanical parts that are not specifically enumerated or included in other headings within Chapter 84. Crucially, these parts must not contain any electrical components, such as connectors, insulators, coils, or contacts, nor can they be classified under more specific machinery headings within Section XVI. This category acts as a residual for general mechanical components that fulfill a machinery function but lack the defining characteristics of more specialized parts.

Distinguishing 8487 from its sibling categories at the root level of the HTS is straightforward; all other top-level headings at the start of the HTS concern entirely different classes of goods, from live animals (Chapter 01) to vegetable products (Chapter 07) and beyond. Within Chapter 84 itself, the distinguishing feature of 8487 is its residual nature for mechanical parts *without* electrical features and *not* specified elsewhere. For instance, gears explicitly designed for a particular machine tool would likely fall under that machine tool's specific heading, whereas a generic, non-electrical gear might find its place here if no other classification is more appropriate.

The subcategories within 8487 further refine its scope. Heading 8487.10.00 specifically addresses propellers and propeller blades for ships or boats, representing a significant and commonly encountered category of mechanical parts. All other mechanical parts that meet the general criteria of heading 8487 but are not propellers fall under the residual subheading 8487.90.00. This includes a vast array of items such as shafts, couplings, bearings (when not specifically classified elsewhere), levers, and other sundry mechanical components essential for the operation of machinery but not fitting into more precisely defined categories.