HTS Codes for Cat Litter Imports: 2026 US Reference

Why the HTS code on your invoice is the most expensive line item

The HTS code on a commercial invoice does three things: it sets the duty rate your customs broker pays on entry, it determines whether Section 301 surcharges apply, and it tells US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) which inspection regime your container falls under. A wrong code at the proforma stage usually surfaces six to eight weeks later as a rate-advance bill from CBP, with interest, and sometimes a penalty. The shipment lands; the cost lands two months later.

Three HTS codes cover the cat-litter market that imports from China. Two of them apply to the products RootPurr manufactures (cassava blend, pure tofu). The third, bentonite-based clay litter, we list here purely for reference; we do not produce or supply it.

1404.90.9000 — Cassava + tofu blends and other plant blends

HTS 1404.90.9000covers “vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included.” This is the catch-all chapter heading for plant-derived products that do not fit a more specific code. Cassava-and-tofu blended cat litter, where neither ingredient dominates as the simple commodity (cassava starch alone or pea-fiber tofu alone), classifies here.

Our 70:30 Cassava + Tofu Blend ships under this code, as do all custom ratios from 50:50 through 80:20. Pure cassava with our custom binder spec also ships here when the binder content is material enough to push it out of the simple-starch heading. The column 1 general rate is currently 0%; column 2 (Cuba and North Korea, not relevant to most importers) is 25%.

Section 301 status

1404.90.9000 was added to List 4Aunder the original Section 301 action. The current List 4A surcharge rate as of this writing is 7.5%. Track this on the USTR's active action schedule rather than relying on a dated reference; the rates change. Even with the 4A surcharge, the all-in duty rate is materially below the bentonite alternative. We surface the current rate on every proforma so the buyer can verify against their own broker's read.

1108.14.0000 — Manioc (cassava) starch

HTS 1108.14.0000 covers manioc starch in unmodified form. The chapter heading is for starches generally; the eight-digit specification narrows to manioc (the botanical name for cassava). Pure cassava starch sold loose, before any binder or formulation, classifies here.

In practice this code is rarely the right one for finished cat litter. Once the cassava starch has been blended with a binder, pelletised, dried, and bagged for retail use, it has moved functionally and tariff-classification-wise into the broader plant-product heading (1404.90). We mention 1108.14 because some suppliers default to it on auto-pilot for any cassava-derived export, and because pure-form starch destined for industrial use does correctly ship under this code. For finished cat litter, confirm with your broker.

2530.10.0000 — Bentonite (for reference, not supplied)

HTS 2530.10.0000 covers bentonite as a mineral substance. This is the code for sodium-bentonite-based clumping litter and for the calcium-bentonite found in some non-clumping formulations. We list it here because we frequently get asked whether plant-based litter and clay litter share a tariff lane; they do not, and the gap is large.

Bentonite under 2530.10 carries a column 1 general rate that is higher than 1404.90, and depending on country of origin can be further encumbered by Section 232 actions on minerals. Where plant-based litter is currently competitive on landed cost compared to clay, this tariff differential is one of the reasons. It is also why a supplier who classifies plant-based litter as 2530.10 is, intentionally or not, costing you money on every container. We do not produce bentonite cat litter.

How to confirm a classification with CBP

Three escalating levels of certainty are available, in increasing order of effort and cost.

1. Broker's working classification

Your customs broker classifies the entry on Form 7501 based on their professional judgment. This is fast and free and accounts for the vast majority of entries. The broker is liable for reasonable care in the classification; the importer of record is ultimately liable for the duty.

2. CBP CROSS rulings (search before you ship)

CBP's Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) is a free public database of past binding-ruling letters. Search for “cat litter,” “cassava starch,” or “manioc” and review what CBP has ruled on similar products. A relevant CROSS ruling is not binding on your specific entry, but a broker pointing to a directly-on-point CROSS ruling substantially reduces audit risk.

3. Binding ruling request (the certain answer)

File a binding-ruling request on CBP Form 19 with a product sample, formulation breakdown, and your proposed classification. CBP responds in 30 to 90 days with a ruling that is binding on your future entries of the identical product at any port of entry. For a brand running multi-container annual volume, this is cheap insurance and turns “is this code right” from a recurring annual question into a one-time decision.

Section 301 surcharges by code

Section 301 is the China-specific tariff regime that has applied in various forms since 2018. The original action created four lists (1, 2, 3, 4A) by HTS code, with separate rates and review cycles. The active rates change; the structure does not.

The actionable point: when you are quoting landed cost on a prospective private-label PO, the HTS code matters more than the FOB-versus-DDP decision and roughly as much as the ocean rate. Confirm the code on the proforma; verify it against your broker's current read of List 4A; and if you are running annual volume, file a binding ruling. For the FOB-versus-DDP side of the same calculation, see the FOB vs DDP landed-cost guide.

Codes that look right but usually aren't

Three classifications come up on supplier proformas often enough to flag here. Each is wrong for finished plant-based cat litter in the typical case, and each costs the importer money or invites a CBP query.

• 2309.90 (animal feed preparations). Cat litter is not animal feed. Suppliers occasionally default to this code because cat litter is a pet product, but the heading covers ingestible feed, not litter. CBP will reclassify.
• 3923.21 (plastic bags for the conveyance of goods). The packaging is not the commodity. The bag holds the litter; the litter is the import.
• 9603.90 (brushes, brooms, mops). A few traders have, bizarrely, classified cat litter as a cleaning implement. This is wrong. CBP will reclassify, with interest.

Bottom line

Cassava + tofu blends, pure cassava with binder, and pure pea-fiber tofu in finished retail bags ship under 1404.90.9000 in the typical case. The column 1 general rate is currently 0% and Section 301 List 4A applies. Bentonite is a separate code and a separate cost structure; we do not produce it.

Get the code on the proforma before the deposit. Verify it against a current CROSS search. For multi-container annual volume, file a binding ruling and turn the classification into a one-time decision. For the documentation side of the buyer relationship, see the 14-point private-label checklist. Ready to quote a specific PO? Start the wholesale inquiry and we surface the HTS code on the first reply.