HS 731700 · Iron / steel nails, tacks, staples
Get the code right at quotation time, not at customs.
Misclassifying HS 731700 on the commercial invoice walks the cargo into the wrong duty rate, the wrong rebate column, and a customs hold that costs days of demurrage to clear. This page gives you the WCO heading, the product it most often covers, the China VAT export rebate rate, the US Section 301 status, the supplier provinces that ship it, and practitioner buying notes for first-time importers.
For an explanation of how the WCO Harmonized System is structured, what each digit means, and why misclassification is the most common landed-cost error first-time buyers make, see the HS code glossary entry.
Key facts
The numbers a buyer needs at the quotation stage. Verify each against the live source before invoicing; rates and rebate columns move.
| WCO heading | Nails, tacks, drawing pins, corrugated nails, staples (iron or steel) |
|---|---|
| Chapter | 73, Articles of iron or steel |
| Industry segment | Iron and steel |
| Chinese name | 钢铁钉/铆钉 |
| China VAT export rebate | 13% Source: China State Taxation Administration (国家税务总局), 2025 schedule. Subject to change. |
| US Section 301 | 25% Source: USTR Section 301 List 1 / 2 / 3 / 4. Verify against the current schedule. |
| Major Chinese supplier provinces | Hebei, Zhejiang, Shandong |
Buying notes
Wire nails, finishing nails, roofing nails, framing nails (collated for nail guns), staples, brads. Yongnian (Hebei) is the global volume capital. Section 301 25% + Section 232 steel 25%. AD/CVD on Chinese steel nails to US has been in force since 2008 with combined duties commonly 100%+; the China-US lane is largely closed for steel nails. The China-Africa, China-Australia, China-Latin America lanes remain open.
Common end uses
The applications that drive most of the global tonnage under this code.
- Construction framing and roofing
- Wood pallets and crating
- Furniture and millwork assembly
- Packaging and shipping crates
- Shoe and leather-goods manufacture
Where to read next
For the structure of the HS / Harmonized System, what each digit means, and why misclassification costs landed-cost margin, see the HS code glossary entry.
Need a quote on this code? Send us the HS code, the destination port, and the tonnage and we will quote FOB China and CIF / DDP landed including the current Section 301 and rebate position.
Read next
Other codes in the same chapter and the references behind them
HS Code
HS 730890 Iron / steel structures and parts
Chapter 73, Iron / steel structures and parts. China VAT rebate 13%.
HS Code
HS 732690 Other iron / steel articles
Chapter 73, Other iron / steel articles. China VAT rebate 13%.
HS Code
HS 731815 Iron / steel screws and bolts
Chapter 73, Iron / steel screws and bolts. China VAT rebate 13%.
HS Code
HS 730840 Steel scaffolding and shuttering equipment
Chapter 73, Steel scaffolding and shuttering equipment. China VAT rebate 13%.
HS Code
HS 731816 Iron / steel nuts
Chapter 73, Iron / steel nuts. China VAT rebate 13%.
Glossary
HS Code, Harmonized System Code
A six-digit international product classification code used by customs authorities worldwide to identify goods, assess duties, and apply trade controls. Countries extend the six-digit base with additional digits for tariff and statistical purposes (10-digit HTS in the US, 8-digit CN code in the EU, 10-digit AHECC in Australia).
Free download
Free PDF: thirty-point factory audit checklist used on every chemical-park site visit, mapped against the HS-code-leading Chinese producers.