9902.15.20 - Hand tools designed for attaching tags to garments with plastic fasteners, each comprising a steel feed mechanism housed in a plastic body and a replaceable hollow needle through which the fastener is fed, then inserted through the garment material (provided for in subheading 8205.59.55)

This HTS category, 9902.15.20, specifically covers specialized hand tools designed for attaching plastic fasteners to garments. These tools are characterized by a mechanism that feeds plastic fasteners and a hollow needle that pierces the garment material. The construction typically involves a steel feed mechanism encased within a plastic body, indicating a focus on durable, user-friendly design for efficient tagging processes.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings within Chapter 99, which primarily deal with temporary legislation and trade agreement modifications, is crucial. While the parent chapter provides a framework for specific trade policies, this subheading narrows the focus to a distinct type of industrial or retail tool. Unlike broad categories of raw materials or general machinery found elsewhere in the HTS, 9902.15.20 is highly specific to a particular function and product type within the apparel and retail sectors.

As this is a leaf node within the HTS database, there are no further subcategories to explore. Therefore, classification under 9902.15.20 relies on precisely matching the physical characteristics and intended use of the imported tool against the descriptive text. Items that do not entirely conform to the described features, such as tools for different fastening methods or those lacking the specific combination of steel feed mechanism and hollow needle, would need to be classified under alternative HTS provisions, likely within Chapter 82 for hand tools.