HEADING 96.06 - BUTTONS PRESS-FASTENERS SNAP-FASTENERS AND PRESS-STUDS BUTTON MOULDS AND OTHER PARTS OF THESE ARTICLES; BUTTON BLANKS.

63 COMMODITIES

9606.10 - Press-fasteners snap-fasteners and press-studs and parts therefor

- Buttons :

9606.21 - - 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

This heading covers buttons studs and similar articles used for fastening or decorating articles of apparel household linen etc. These articles may be made of various materials and they may contain natural or cultured pearls precious or semi- precious stones (natural synthetic or reconstructed) precious metal or metal clad with precious metal provided these latter materials are present as minor components only. Otherwise they fall in CHAPTER71. The principal materials used for making buttons studs etc. are base metals wood corozo dom bone horn plastics ceramics glass ebonite compressed paperboard leather composition leather ivory tortoise-shell or mother-of-pearl. They may also consist of combinations 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. In some shank buttons the shank is in the form of a spring-type hinge 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 snap-fasteners and press-studs. These consist of two or more parts and operate by means of a snap mechanism. Such fasteners and studs may be designed 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 " body " of certain types of buttons and are designed to be covered with textile material paper leather etc. They are classified here only when clearly recognisable as designed for button manufacture. These moulds may be of wood orris root etc. but the most usual type consists of two metal parts one of which is covered with textile etc. while   The other fits into the first and holds the textile in place.

(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) Stamped metal blanks consisting of two parts (top and base)  designed tofit one into the other.

(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 pierced) so that they are clearly identifiable as intended for making buttons. On the other hand a disc merely sawn cut or polished but not further worked is not regarded as a button blank and is to be classified according to the constituent material.

The heading excludes cuff-links (heading 71.13 or 71.17).

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