WCO Explanatory Notes reproduced for reference. © World Customs Organization. Verify against official WCO publication.
96.06 - Buttons, ress-fasteners, sna fasteners and press-studs, button moulds and other parts oft ese articles; button Ianks. k' % 9606.10 - Press-fasteners, snap-fasteners and press-studs and parts therefor - Buttons : - - Of plastics, not covered with textile material 9606.22 - - Of base metal, not covered with textile material 9606.29 - - Other 9606.30 - Button moulds and other parts of buttons; button blanks 9606.21 This heading covers buttons, studs, and similar articles used for fastening or decoratin articles of apparel, household linen, etc. These articles may be made of various materials and t ey may contam natural or cultured earls, precious or semi-precious stones (natural, synthetic or reconstructed), precious meta or metal clad with precious metaI provided these latter materials are present as minor components only. Otherwise they fall in Chapter 71. % ? The principal materials used for making buttons, studs, etc., are base metals, wood, corozo, dom, bone, horn, plastics, ceramics, glass, ebonite, compressed paperboard, leather, corn osition leather, ivory, tortoise-shell or mother-of-pearl. They may also consist of corn inations of these materials and may be textile covered. ! The heading includes : (A) Pierced and shank buttons. These may be of various sizes and shapes according to the purpose for which they are to be used (underwear, outer garments, footwear, etc.). Spherical buttons may be distinguished from beads by the fact that the hole for the thread is not pierced centrally. h some shank buttons, the shank is in the form of a spring-type hine which enables the button to be secured to a garment without sewing. Other types (e.g., ' bachelor buttons ") are affixed to garments by a snap mechanism. (B) Press-fasteners, sna -fasteners and press-studs. These consist of two or more parts, and operate by means o a snap mechanism. Such fasteners and studs may be deslgned for sewing on garments, etc., or they may be attached by " riveting " (e-g., press-studs for gloves). !' Press-fasteners and the like remain classified in this heading when the separate parts are supplied already mounted on strips of narrow tape. The heading also covers : (1) Button moulds. These articles are the interior part or and are desi ed to be covered with textile material, These moulds here only w en clearly recognisable as designed may be of wood, orris root, etc., but the most usual type consists of two metal arts, one of wh~chis covered with textile, etc., while the other fits into the first and holds e textile in place. r L (2) Other parts of buttons, etc., identifiable as such (e.g., shanks, bases, heads). (3) Button blanks. These include : (i) Moulded blanks as obtained from the mould and not yet usable as buttons. They normally require to be trimmed, pierced and polished, but are readily distinguishable as being intended for manufacture into buttons. (ii) Stam ed metal blanks consisting of two parts (top and base) designed to fit one into the ot er. ! (iii) Blanks of mother-of-pearl, corozo, wood, etc., worked (e.g., rounded or hollowed out on one or both sides or otherwise shaped, with rimmed edges, polished or ierced) so that they are clearly identifiable as intended for makin buttons. On t e other hand, a disc merely sawn, cut or polished but not further wor ed, is not regarded as a button blank and is to be classified according to the constituent material. E The heading excludes cuff-links (heading 71.13 or 71.17). K
Notes. 1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Pencils for cosmetic or toilet uses (Chapter 33); (b) Articles of Chapter 66 (for example, parts of umbrellas or walking-sticks); (c) Imitation jewellery (heading 71.17); (d) Parts of general use, as defined in Note 2 to Section XV, of base metal (Section XV), or similar goods of plastics (Chapter 39); (e) Cutlery or other articles of Chapter 82 with handles or other parts of carving or moulding materials; heading 96.01 or 96.02 applies, however, to separately presented handles or other parts of such articles; (f) Articles of Chapter 90 (for example, spectacle frames (heading 90.03), mathematical drawing pens (heading 90.17), brushes of a kind specialised for use in dentistry or for medical, surgical or veterinary purposes (heading 90.18)); (g) Articles of Chapter 91 (for example, clock or watch cases); (h) Musical instruments or parts or accessories thereof (Chapter 92); (ij) Articles of Chapter 93 (arms and parts thereof); (k) Articles of Chapter 94 (for example, furniture, luminaires and lighting fittings); (l) Articles of Chapter 95 (toys, games, sports requisites); or (m) Works of art, collectors' pieces or antiques (Chapter 97). 2.- In heading 96.02 the expression “vegetable or mineral carving material” means : (a) Hard seeds, pips, hulls and nuts and similar vegetable materials of a kind used for carving (for example, corozo and dom); (b) Amber, meerschaum, agglomerated amber and agglomerated meerschaum, jet and mineral substitutes for jet. 3.- In heading 96.03 the expression “prepared knots and tufts for broom or brush making” applies only to unmounted knots and tufts of animal hair, vegetable fibre or other material, which are ready for incorporation without division in brooms or brushes, or which require only such further minor processes as trimming to shape at the top, to render them ready for such incorporation. 4.- Articles of this Chapter, other than those of headings 96.01 to 96.06 or 96.15, remain classified in the Chapter whether or not composed wholly or partly of precious metal or metal clad with precious metal, of natural or cultured pearls, or precious or semi-precious stones (natural, synthetic or reconstructed). However, headings 96.01 to 96.06 and 96.15 include articles in which natural or cultured pearls, precious or semi-precious stones (natural, synthetic or reconstructed), precious metal or metal clad with precious metal constitute only minor constituents.