HTS Chapter 37: Photographic or cinematographic goods
HTS Chapter 37 covers Photographic or cinematographic goods. Browse 5 published headings, then narrow to the active product line that matches the goods.
2026 HTS Rev 19 Synced Rules verified Operational
Written to help non-specialists understand this page. Rates, dates, and legal facts come from the official records above and on the linked source.
HTS Chapter 37 covers photographic and cinematographic goods, especially sensitized materials and chemical preparations used to create, process, or reproduce images. Representative products include unexposed photographic plates and film in flat sheets or rolls, sensitized photographic paper and textiles, exposed and developed motion-picture film, and certain prepared chemicals for photographic use. The product’s physical form, material, condition, packaging, and intended use can all affect classification.
The HTS is organized from broad to specific: a chapter identifies a general product group, a heading provides a four-digit category such as 3701 or 3707, a subheading adds detail at six or more digits, and the complete U.S. classification is usually a 10-digit HTS number. To find the correct code, start with the product’s actual characteristics, then compare the relevant heading and subheading descriptions, section and chapter notes, and any applicable exclusions. Confirm the final 10-digit code using the current HTS and, when the facts are unclear, seek customs-broker or binding-ruling guidance.
What to check
- Identify whether the item is unexposed, exposed, developed, or otherwise processed, and record its physical form—flat, roll, film, paper, paperboard, textile, or another material.
- Classify based on the product’s characteristics as presented for import, while also checking whether its photographic use and packaging affect the subheading.
- Read the relevant Section Notes, Chapter 37 notes, and heading exclusions; do not assume every imaging, printing, or laboratory product belongs in this chapter.
- Review the complete 10-digit HTS entry, including statistical suffixes and any applicable units of quantity, rather than stopping at the four-digit heading.
- Check separately for any applicable Chapter 99 provisions, trade remedies, or other additional reporting requirements, and verify them against current official HTS instructions.
How to use this chapter
A chapter is the first classification level, not a duty rate. Choose the heading that describes the product, narrow by material, construction, use, or other legal distinctions, and verify the final line against the official HTS notes.
Heading list
| HTS code | Description | Linked 8-digit entries |
|---|---|---|
| 3701 | Photographic plates and film in the flat, sensitized, unexposed, of any material other than paper, paperboard or textiles; instant print film in the flat, sensitized, unexposed, whether or not in packs: | 2 |
| 3702 | Photographic film in rolls, sensitized, unexposed, of any material other than paper, paperboard or textiles; instant print film in rolls, sensitized, unexposed: | 1 |
| 3703 | Photographic paper, paperboard and textiles, sensitized, unexposed: | 0 |
| 3706 | Motion-picture film, exposed and developed, whether or not incorporating sound track or consisting only of sound track: | 1 |
| 3707 | Chemical preparations for photographic uses (other than varnishes, glues, adhesives and similar preparations); unmixed products for photographic uses, put up in measured portions or put up for retail sale in a form ready for use: | 1 |
Linked measures
0 linked measure entries in the current snapshot.
Questions about HTS Chapter 37
What does HTS Chapter 37 cover?
HTS Chapter 37 covers Photographic or cinematographic goods. This page groups the chapter’s 4-digit headings; a shipment still needs the most specific active 8- or 10-digit line supported by the product facts.
Is HTS Chapter 37 a final product classification?
No. A chapter is a broad 2-digit category. Narrow it to the applicable heading and the most specific active statistical line before estimating duty or filing an entry.