Used books|HS Code

Used books harmonized system code

Product Overview Used Books under HS Code 4901 refer to previously owned and used printed books, brochures, leaflets, and similar printed matter, whether or not in single sheets. These books exhibit physical specifications including varying sizes, weights, and cover types, with processing levels that range from well-preserved to slightly worn or damaged. The quality attributes of the used books are contingent on their condition, edition, and rarity. Within HS Code 4901, Used Books can be further divided into categories such as hardcover, paperback, and rare or antique books. These books serve commercial applications across multiple sectors including education, retail, and libraries. Their value proposition lies in their affordability, recyclability, and appeal to collectors or enthusiasts. Used books offer a competitive advantage in markets where new books are expensive or scarce, providing a sustainable and economical alternative. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications HS Code 4901, under the broader Chapter 49 for printed books, newspapers, pictures and other products of the printing industry, is further divided into sub-categories. The complete 6-digit code is 4901.99, which covers used printed books, brochures, leaflets, and similar printed matter. This classification is chosen due to the used nature, printed form, and specific content of the materials. When traded internationally, Used Books are often packaged in boxes or crates to ensure protection during transportation. They may also be shrink-wrapped or plastic-wrapped for preservation, especially for rare or antique books. Shipping requirements usually involve secure and dry storage conditions to prevent damage. Quality standards for Used Books depend on their condition, with clearly readable text and intact binding as minimum requirements. This description aligns with World Trade Organization (WTO) and customs documentation standards, facilitating efficient and compliant international trade.

Used books Chapter Note

1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Photographic negatives or positives on transparent bases (Chapter 37); (b) Maps, plans or globes, in relief, whether or not printed (heading 90.23); (c) Playing cards or other goods of Chapter 95; or (d) Original engravings, prints or lithographs (heading 97.02), postage or revenue stamps, stamppostmarks, first-day covers, postal stationery or the like of heading 97.04, antiques of an age exceeding one hundred years or other articles of Chapter 97. 2.- For the purposes of Chapter 49, the term “printed” also means reproduced by means of a duplicating machine, produced under the control of an automatic data processing machine, embossed, photographed, photocopied, thermocopied or typewritten. 3.- Newspapers, journals and periodicals which are bound otherwise than in paper, and sets of newspapers, journals or periodicals comprising more than one number under a single cover are to be classified in heading 49.01, whether or not containing advertising material. 4.- Heading 49.01 also covers : (a) A collection of printed reproductions of, for example, works of art or drawings, with a relative text, put up with numbered pages in a form suitable for binding into one or more volumes; (b) A pictorial supplement accompanying, and subsidiary to, a bound volume; and (c) Printed parts of books or booklets, in the form of assembled or separate sheets or signatures, constituting the whole or a part of a complete work and designed for binding. However, printed pictures or illustrations not bearing a text, whether in the form of signatures or separate sheets, fall in heading 49.11. 5.- Subject to Note 3 to this Chapter , heading 49.01 does not cover publications which are essentially devoted to advertising (for example, brochures, pamphlets, leaflets, trade catalogues, year books published by trade associations, tourist propaganda). Such publications are to be classified in heading 49.11. 6.- For the purposes of heading 49.03, the expression “children's picture books” means books for children in which the pictures form the principal interest and the text is subsidiary.