Fabric expansion joints are to be classified under HS code 8484-200
Until 2012, fabric expansion joints were mainly classified in customs tariffs as fabrics. This led to strongly deviating, often random classifications. These were often not comprehensible, because

  • a variety of different materials are used for a fabric expansion joint
  • depending on the construction, one or the other material, e.g. metal or flexible layers, predominates in percentage terms
  • e.g. supplied accessories such as screws, flanges, clamps had to be classified without reference to the fabric expansion joint.

The Quality Association for Fabric Expansion Joints (Gütegemeinschaft Weichstoff-Kompensatoren e.V.) therefore aimed for the goal-oriented functional approach that is uniformly applicable to all fabric expansion joints. The classification does not depend on the materials of which the fabric expansion joint is made, but solely on the function of the expansion joint.
The main customs office in Dresden confirmed this approach to the Quality Association with its information of 30.10.2012 with the functional classification in the chapter „Mechanical seals“ with the HS code 8484-200.

VS, 24 June 2020