HS Code for Garments: Guide to Export Garments

Garments are considered one of the most important goods in international trade. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), global textile product exports in 2024 exceeded US$325 billion. The huge amount of exports of textiles and garments in the world is triggered by the enormous demand for clothing products because they are one of the primary necessities for humans. As an essential commodity, there is an important role of inclusion Harmonized Standard (HS) code for garments in international trade activities. This article will explore the HS code for garments, the largest exporter or importer, as well as how to find the HS code for garments. 

What are garments, and the difference between apparel and clothing?

The terms of garments are closely related to clothing, apparel, and other terms in fashion. The origin of garments word comes from the Old French word, garnir, which has the literal meaning to equip or to decorate. Therefore, the meaning of garments is similar to clothing, apparel, and they can be interchangeable. However, the garments have become a more common term to depict the attributes worn to protect and cover the human body. 

Even though they have similar meanings, the word garments can be slightly different than apparel and clothing. The garment is a single clothing product that is worn by a person, such as a jacket, a single shirt, etc. Meanwhile, apparel is any product that can be worn to protect the human body, including shirts, jackets, footwear, and additional accessories. On the other hand, the clothing is products of clothes that can be worn, such as pants, dresses, jackets, etc. 

HS code for garment and textile products

In order to export or import garment products, the insertion of the HS code cannot be neglected. This is because the HS code is the international standard code developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO), which is a requirement for the customs checking process. This code has a significant role in the identification of the tariff and other import regulations in the recipient country. These are the detailed explanations of the HS code for garments and textiles, as follows: 

• Chapter 50-60: HS code for many kinds of textile products.  
• Chapter 61-62: HS code for apparel and clothing accessories. 
• Chapter 63: HS code for other textile products, including the furnishing products. 

The classifications above are the common HS codes for the garment or textile goods. The chapter for garments that have a speciality for human clothing is included in Chapters 61 and 62. The HS code for garments can have additional 2-digit codes for the heading code based on the gender. For instance, the HS code for trousers is 6203 and 6204. This is the explanation of the HS code for garments, particularly trousers.  

• 6203: HS code for trousers, jackets, blazers, etc, that are specifically for men. 
• 6204: HS code for trousers, jackets, skirts, etc, that are specifically for women.

The HS code can include a 2-digit additional subheading code to categorize the material of the products. For example, the HS code for men’s trousers made out of wool or animal hair is 6203.41. After the international standard subheading, there will be an additional national subheading for a two to four-digit number for further identification of the trousers or other garment products in the recipient country. 

Top 5 exporters and importers of garment products

Some countries are deemed the largest exporters of garment products globally. For the whole time, we know that developing countries in Asia as the largest exporters of garment products. However, based on data from the United Nations Comtrade, some developed European countries are included among the largest exporters of garment products in the HS codes 61 and 62. These are the top exporter countries of garment products in 2024. 

The Largest exporter of garments under the HS code 61

Countries	Trade export value (USD)
China	85,263,543,484
Germany	13,911,293,791
Italy	11,571,109,569
Turkiye	10,105,657,119
Netherlands	7,437,398,261

Source: UN Comtrade Database, accessed November 10, 2025

The largest exporters of garments under the HS code 62

Countries	Trade export value (USD)
China	67,764,396,655
Italy	16,369,316,147
Germany	13,656,629,462
France	8,661,334,067
India	8,066,821,194

Source: UN Comtrade Database, accessed November 10, 2025

The table of the largest exporters of garments under the HS codes 61 and 62 is quite similar. They show that China is the largest exporter of apparel and accessories that are knitted as well as woven fabrics. Meanwhile the Germany and Italy are also known as the largest exporters of apparel and accessories that are knitted and woven fabrics, and are included in the developed countries cohort. The two European countries have several giant apparel brands, such as Adidas, Gucci, Puma, Kappa, and others. The other countries, as the largest exporters of products under codes 61 and 62, are Turkiye, the Netherlands, France, and India. 

The largest exporting countries above sell most of their garment products to the largest importing countries. As we know, the largest importing countries are dominated by the developed countries due to their high purchasing power and the high demand for garment products. This is the list of the largest importing countries under the HS codes for garment products 61 and 62. 

The largest importers of garments under the HS code 61

Countries	Trade import value (USD)
United States	47,374,918,519
Germany	21,785,013,072
France	12,591,399,334
Japan	11,859,461,956
United Kingdom	10,909,251,914

Source: UN Comtrade Database, accessed November 10, 2025

The largest importers of garments under the HS code 62

Countries	Trade import value (USD)
United States	36,334,604,985
Germany	19,361,481,743
France	12,932,019,067
Japan	10,983,203,694
Spain	9,581,352,244

Source: UN Comtrade Database, accessed November 10, 2025

The largest importing countries under the HS codes for garment products 61 and 62 are quite similar. The United States is deemed the largest importer of apparel and accessories that knitted and woven fabrics. Germany, France, and Japan are the second, third, and fourth largest importers of garment products, respectively. The fifth position under code 61 is the United Kingdom, and the fifth largest importer under code 62 is Spain. 

The importance of the correct HS code for garments or textiles

The inclusion of HS codes is essential and crucial to be understood by the international trade actors. The classification of the HS code must be correct in order to ensure the tariff rates and the taxes. The HS code also plays a significant role in identifying trade statistics, and it is useful for the trade policy of a country. 

There are consequences if the international trade parties do not have enough knowledge of the HS code, and even insert the incorrect HS code. If the customs agency found any incorrect HS code for garments, it will lead to the seizure, delay shipment, and fines that will financially harm your business. 

Challenges in identifying the HS code for garments or textiles

The method of HS code for garments allows you to self-identify the garment products, including the material and the functions. However, these classification methods are quite complicated due to the many components or materials for the garment or textile products these days. Some of the exporters or importers often find difficulty or challenges in classifying their products. 

There are challenges in classifying the HS code for garment products, including combining many components into a single product, advanced textile production, and other classifications of the function due to innovation in the fashion industry. Other than that, the HS code is updated periodically, which makes the process of identification and finding the accurate HS code for garments very complex and requires extra attention. 

How to find the trade lanes of the HS code for garments

The process of identifying the HS code for garments is quite difficult due to its complexities. In order to ease the difficulty, you can use a third-party website to find the best HS code for your products, such as HS Code Match. This website offers an easy-to-use application to find the HS code for garments. These are steps to find the trade lanes of the HS code for garments using HS Code Match. 

• Step 1: You can open the HS Code Match in your browser. In these steps, we can choose one of the largest importers and exporters of garment products, for instance, the garments from Germany to the United States. 

• Step 2: After clicking the search button, you can choose one of the best options of HS codes. For this step, we can choose HS code 61099040 in the second row of the HS Code Match page. 

• Step 3: After selecting the HS code, we can proceed to see the detailed description of the HS code as well as the import regulations, such as tariff and etc. You can see the HS code description that will help you in identifying your products. 

We can see that the general import duty of apparel and accessories under HS code 61099040 from Germany to the United States is 2,6 percent, that defined under the Most Favored Nations (MFN). The MFN means that it is a general tariff, and there is no preference for countries to get the lowest tariff to export products to the United States.

• Step 4: On the bottom part of the HS Code Match page, you can see the import regulations under the code 61099040 to the United States, including Partner Government Agencies, along with the restrictions and the product requirements. If you find any confusion in finding the latest regulation, you are allowed to ask the AI Assistant anything to help you find the right answer or specific parts of the regulations. You can find the summary of HS code 61099040 using the chatbot below. 

These are examples of the AI chatbot answers on HS Code Match about exporting garments from Germany to the United States. 

First question: What is the agency that issues the Certificate of Origin of garments from Germany to the United States? 

Answer: The authority that is responsible for issuing the CoO in the United States is Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The mandate of this agency is stated under 19 CFR 10.8 as one of the requirements for imported goods to the US territory. The other agency that helps CBP is the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), which checks the flammability standard of the garment products from Germany and other countries. Meanwhile, no other agency has the power to verify the CoO in the United States instead than CBP and CPSC. 

Second question: What are other certificates to accompany the Certificate of Origin for exporting garments from Germany to the United States?

Answer: The CoO is the main requirement for exporting garments from Germany to the US. However, there are other certificates to accompany the CoO, such as the Flammability Test Certificate to ensure the safety standard in the US. On the other hand, the CBP is also required to provide some of the documentation of product classification. The last thing is, CBP does not require you to provide the other certificates, such as environmental, labour, or other chemical certificates, for garment products from Germany. 

Third question: Is the Flammability Compliance Certificate applied to all of the garment products? 

Answer: The Flammability Compliance Certificate is not applied to all types of garment products in the US. Based on the standard of the Flammability of Clothing Textiles regulation, there are some exemptions of products from full testing. This includes spandex, vinyl plastic film, and a combination of materials. Meanwhile, the garment products made from cotton, wool, and rayon are subject to full testing. 

Conclusion 

HS code for garments is important for the business in the origin countries to identify their products. The identification process is quite complicated, but it cannot be neglected to ensure that your products will pass the customs process smoothly. Not only the HS code, but the international trade parties should understand the import regulations in the recipient countries and help them navigate some of the barriers in order to gain a profit. You can use the HS Code Match to find the accurate HS code for garments, import regulations, including the latest tariff rates. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. What is the HS code for garment products or textiles? 

The general HS code for garments or textiles is under Chapters 61 and 62. These chapters consist of the apparel and accessories that can be worn.

2. What are the challenges to finding the accurate HS code for garment products? 

The challenges to find the right HS code for garments are the update of the code and the dynamics of the material, and the innovation of new fashion styles. This situation will bring up the issue of the complexities of finding HS codes for garments. 

3. What are the largest exporting countries of garment products under the HS codes 61 and 62? 

The largest exporting nation of these two HS codes is China. This country is deemed the largest garment industry in the world. Germany and Italy follow it as the second and third largest exporting nations, respectively. 

4. What are the largest importing countries of garment products under the HS codes 61 and 62? 

The largest importing country of the products under these two codes is the United States. It was followed by Germany, France, and Japan as the second, third, and fourth largest importing countries, respectively.

5. Is there any application to find the HS code for garments easily?

Yes, you can use the HS Code Match to find the accurate HS code for garment products or other products. You can also find the latest trade regulations in HS Code Match to help you solve the problem in international trade. 

6. What are the impacts of inserting an incorrect HS code? 

The impacts or consequences of inserting an incorrect HS code are harmful for the business, from the threat of delayed shipping to fines. Therefore, people need to take a closer look at the HS code in the specific recipient country.