8708.30.50.20 - Brake drums

This HTS category, 8708.30.50.20, specifically classifies brake drums for motor vehicles. Brake drums are a crucial component of braking systems, forming a cylindrical housing that rotates with the wheel. When the brakes are applied, brake shoes press against the inner surface of the drum to create friction and slow or stop the vehicle. This classification is reserved for the drum itself, as a distinct part.

It is important to differentiate this category from its siblings. While 8708.30.50.30 covers brake rotors (discs), which are flat, rotating discs that also engage with brake pads, brake drums are fundamentally different in their design and function as a housing for brake shoes. Similarly, 8708.30.50.40 classifies mounted brake linings, which are the friction material applied to brake shoes and are not the drum itself. The residual category, 8708.30.50.90, captures any other brake parts not specifically enumerated.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS, there are no further subcategories to introduce. Classification within 8708.30.50.20 is determined by the product's identity as a brake drum, a component designed to work in conjunction with brake shoes to provide stopping power for motor vehicles falling under headings 8701 to 8705.