HS code for backpacks in the United States
Last updated
Key facts
- Most likely code
- 4202.92
- Candidate codes
- 3
- HS edition
- HS2022
- National lines
- 31
- General duty (MFN)
- 7%, 3.4%, 6.3%, 5.7%
Summary
Backpacks imported into the United States are usually classified under HS code 4202.92 when its outer surface is of plastic sheeting or of textile materials. It sits in heading 42.02, “Trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels, spectacle cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar containers; travelling-bags, insulated food or beverages bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, handbags, shopping-bags, wallets, purses, map-cases, cigarette-cases, tobacco-pouches, tool bags, sports bags, bottle-cases, jewellery boxes, powder-boxes, cutlery cases and similar containers, of leather or of composition le…”. Backpacks can also fall under 4202.91 or 4202.99, depending on the material. The tariff of the United States has 31 national lines under these codes. The general (MFN) duty in the United States on the national lines under 4202.92 is 7%, 3.4%, 6.3% or 5.7%, depending on the line.
How to choose the right code
What is the outer surface made of: textile or plastic sheeting, leather, or something else? Use 4202.92 when its outer surface is of plastic sheeting or of textile materials. Use 4202.91 when its outer surface is of leather or composition leather. Use 4202.99 when its outer surface is of another material.
Some similar goods are classified elsewhere: 4202.12 applies when it is a school satchel with an outer surface of plastics or textile, which is grouped with suitcases and briefcases.
Goods of mixed materials are generally classified by the material that gives them their essential character.
Codes for backpacks
Each code is listed with its legal text from the HS2022 Harmonized System release, quoted as published, and the condition under which it applies to backpacks.
- 4202.92
Most likely
Legal text: “Other: With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials”
Heading 42.02: “Trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels, spectacle cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar containers; travelling-bags, insulated food or beverages bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, handbags, shopping-bags, wallets, purses, map-cases, cigarette-cases, tobacco-pouches, tool bags, sports bags, bottle-cases, jewellery boxes, powder-boxes, cutlery cases and similar containers, of leather or of composition le…”
Applies when its outer surface is of plastic sheeting or of textile materials.
- 4202.91
Possible
Legal text: “Other: With outer surface of leather or of composition leather”
Heading 42.02: “Trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels, spectacle cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar containers; travelling-bags, insulated food or beverages bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, handbags, shopping-bags, wallets, purses, map-cases, cigarette-cases, tobacco-pouches, tool bags, sports bags, bottle-cases, jewellery boxes, powder-boxes, cutlery cases and similar containers, of leather or of composition le…”
Applies when its outer surface is of leather or composition leather.
- 4202.99
Possible
Legal text: “Other: Other”
Heading 42.02: “Trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels, spectacle cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar containers; travelling-bags, insulated food or beverages bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, handbags, shopping-bags, wallets, purses, map-cases, cigarette-cases, tobacco-pouches, tool bags, sports bags, bottle-cases, jewellery boxes, powder-boxes, cutlery cases and similar containers, of leather or of composition le…”
Applies when its outer surface is of another material.
- 4202.12
Classified elsewhere
Legal text: “Trunks, suitcases, vanity cases, executive-cases, briefcases, school satchels and similar containers: With outer surface of plastics or of textile materials”
Heading 42.02: “Trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels, spectacle cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar containers; travelling-bags, insulated food or beverages bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, handbags, shopping-bags, wallets, purses, map-cases, cigarette-cases, tobacco-pouches, tool bags, sports bags, bottle-cases, jewellery boxes, powder-boxes, cutlery cases and similar containers, of leather or of composition le…”
Applies when it is a school satchel with an outer surface of plastics or textile, which is grouped with suitcases and briefcases.
National lines in the United States
The tariff of the United States splits these codes into 31 national lines, listed with their published text and general duty.
The general (MFN) duty in the United States on the national lines under 4202.92 is 7%, 3.4%, 6.3% or 5.7%, depending on the line. Import VAT or sales tax is charged on top, and de minimis rules can change what is due; the landed cost calculator works it out for a shipment.
Under 4202.92
- 4202.92.04.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Insulated food or beverage bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Beverage bags whose interior incorporates only a flexible plastic container of a kind for storing and dispensing potable beverages through attached flexible tubing”7%
- 4202.92.08.05“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Insulated food or beverage bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Other › Of cotton (369)”7%
- 4202.92.08.07“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Insulated food or beverage bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Other › Of man-made fibers (670)”7%
- 4202.92.08.09“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Insulated food or beverage bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Other › Other (870)”7%
- 4202.92.10.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Insulated food or beverage bags › Other”3.4%
- 4202.92.15.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Of vegetable fibers and not of pile or tufted construction › Of cotton (369)”6.3%
- 4202.92.20.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Of vegetable fibers and not of pile or tufted construction › Other (870)”5.7%
- 4202.92.31.20“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Of man-made fibers › Backpacks (670)”17.6%
- 4202.92.31.31“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Of man-made fibers › Other (670)”17.6%
- 4202.92.33.05“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Of paper yarn or of cotton; containing 85 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste › Of paper yarn”17.6%
- 4202.92.33.10“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Of paper yarn or of cotton; containing 85 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste › Containing 85 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste”17.6%
- 4202.92.33.16“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Of paper yarn or of cotton; containing 85 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste › Of cotton (369)”17.6%
- 4202.92.39.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › With outer surface of textile materials › Other (870)”17.6%
- 4202.92.45.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Travel, sports and similar bags › Other”20%
- 4202.92.50.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Musical instrument cases”4.2%
- 4202.92.60.10“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Other › Of cotton › Jewelry boxes, and similar containers of a kind normally sold at retail with their contents”6.3%
- 4202.92.60.91“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Other › Of cotton › Other (369)”6.3%
- 4202.92.91.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Other › Other › With outer surface of textile materials › Of man-made fibers (except jewelry boxes of a kind normally sold at retail with their contents) (670)”17.6%
- 4202.92.93.10“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Other › Other › With outer surface of textile materials › Other › Containing 85 percent or more by weight of silk or silk waste”17.6%
- 4202.92.93.15“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Other › Other › With outer surface of textile materials › Other › Other, jewelry boxes of a kind normally sold at retail with their contents”17.6%
- 4202.92.93.36“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Other › Other › With outer surface of textile materials › Other › Other (870)”17.6%
- 4202.92.94.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Other › Other › Other › Cases designed to protect and transport compact disks (CD's), CD Rom disks, CD players, cassette players, and/or cassettes”17.6%
- 4202.92.97.00“With outer surface of sheeting of plastics or of textile materials › Other › Other › Other › Other”17.6%
Under 4202.91
- 4202.91.10.00“With outer surface of leather or of composition leather › Golf bags”4.5%
- 4202.91.90.30“With outer surface of leather or of composition leather › Other › Travel, sports and similar bags”4.5%
- 4202.91.90.90“With outer surface of leather or of composition leather › Other › Other”4.5%
Under 4202.99
- 4202.99.10.00“Other › Of materials (other than leather, composition leather, sheeting of plastics, textile materials, vulcanized fiber or paperboard) wholly or mainly covered with paper › Of plastics”3.4%
- 4202.99.20.00“Other › Of materials (other than leather, composition leather, sheeting of plastics, textile materials, vulcanized fiber or paperboard) wholly or mainly covered with paper › Of wood › Not lined with textile fabrics”4.3%
- 4202.99.30.00“Other › Of materials (other than leather, composition leather, sheeting of plastics, textile materials, vulcanized fiber or paperboard) wholly or mainly covered with paper › Of wood › Lined with textile fabrics”free
- 4202.99.50.00“Other › Of materials (other than leather, composition leather, sheeting of plastics, textile materials, vulcanized fiber or paperboard) wholly or mainly covered with paper › Other”7.8%
- 4202.99.90.00“Other › Other”20%
Similar products
Products in the same category as backpacks, or classified under the same headings.
- HandbagsHS 4202.21, 4202.22
- SuitcasesHS 4202.12
- WalletsHS 4202.31, 4202.32
- Leather beltsHS 4203.30
- SunglassesHS 9004.10
Check your exact product
Describe your product, or paste its page, and the classifier suggests the code in the tariff of the United States with its reasons.
Classification depends on the exact product
The right code depends on what the product is made of, how it is made and what it is for, so two products sold as backpacks can fall under different codes.
Guidance from published tariff data, not a binding ruling. For a decision customs must follow, apply to the destination’s customs authority for a binding tariff ruling.
Frequently asked questions
What is the HS code for backpacks?
Backpacks imported into the United States are usually classified under HS code 4202.92 when its outer surface is of plastic sheeting or of textile materials. It sits in heading 42.02, “Trunks, suit-cases, vanity-cases, executive-cases, brief-cases, school satchels, spectacle cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar containers; travelling-bags, insulated food or beverages bags, toilet bags, rucksacks, handbags, shopping-bags, wallets, purses, map-cases, cigarette-cases, tobacco-pouches, tool bags, sports bags, bottle-cases, jewellery boxes, powder-boxes, cutlery cases and similar containers, of leather or of composition le…”.
Does the material change the HS code for backpacks?
Yes. Use 4202.92 when its outer surface is of plastic sheeting or of textile materials. Use 4202.91 when its outer surface is of leather or composition leather. Use 4202.99 when its outer surface is of another material.
What is the duty on backpacks imported into the United States?
The general (MFN) duty in the United States on the national lines under 4202.92 is 7%, 3.4%, 6.3% or 5.7%, depending on the line. Import VAT or sales tax is charged on top, and de minimis rules can change what is due; the landed cost calculator works it out for a shipment.
Sources and updates
The legal texts are from the HS2022 Harmonized System release, live on border.bot since 11 October 2026.
The national lines are from the tariff release of the United States (2026HTSRev21), live on border.bot since 9 October 2026.
The duty rates are from the live rates release, live on border.bot since 9 October 2026.
The conditions and questions on this page were written for backpacks by border.bot and checked against those legal texts; the page changes when a new release goes live or the topic is reviewed again.
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