9606.30 - Button molds and other parts of buttons; button blanks:

HTS Code 9606.30 encompasses button molds, other individual parts intended for buttons, and button blanks. This category specifically addresses components used in the manufacture or assembly of buttons, as well as semi-finished items that are essentially precursors to a completed button. This includes items such as the shanks, decorative fronts, and the basic shaped discs or cylinders that will be further processed into functional buttons.

This heading is distinct from its sibling, 9606.10, which covers finished press-fasteners, snap-fasteners, and press-studs, along with their specific parts. While 9606.10 deals with integral fastening systems, 9606.30 focuses exclusively on the individual components and unfinished forms that constitute buttons themselves. It is also separate from the category of finished buttons, which would be classified elsewhere within the broader scope of 9606.

The subcategories within 9606.30 differentiate based on material. The primary subdivisions are for button blanks made of casein (9606.30.40.00) and a residual category for all other types of button blanks and parts (9606.30.80.00). This distinction allows for specific accounting and tariff treatment of casein-based button blanks, while grouping the vast majority of other materials, such as plastics, metals, wood, and shell, under the general "other" provision.