Breaking and scutching are mechanical processes that crush the retted flax stalk and remove woody shive, yielding long-line fiber bundles ready for hackling or spinning preparation. China and Canada are the two leading US suppliers under this heading, a pairing that reflects China's large-scale flax processing capacity and Canada's significant flax cultivation—particularly in the Prairie provinces—where some primary processing occurs before export. A single 10-digit line (5301210000) covers broken, scutched, hackled, and other processed (but not spun) flax under the US schedule as filed under this HS6 code.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
The transition occurs when the retted stalk undergoes mechanical breaking (crushing the woody core) and scutching (beating away the shive to free the long bast fibers). Once these mechanical separation steps have been performed, the material is no longer classifiable as raw or retted flax under 530110 and moves to 530121. Importers should obtain mill processing certificates confirming the stage of preparation.
Canadian scutched flax is typically derived from oilseed flax varieties (Linum usitatissimum grown for linseed), which yield shorter, coarser fiber less suited to fine linen yarn than fiber-type flax. Chinese product often originates from fiber-variety flax processed in industrial scutching mills. Buyers specifying long-line linen fiber quality should confirm the flax variety and fiber length with the supplier, as variety and processing method affect end-use suitability independently of origin.
Subheading 4 of 4 in heading 5301
Trade Directory
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ImportsExports
Imports
—YoY · free account
Exports
—YoY · free account
Low of 2 reported months · imports
Low · free accountFewer than 6 of the last 12 months reported trade, or the latest month was under $500K; the trend chart is not shown for thin series.
Through August 2026 · imports 2 of 12 months reported, exports 1 of 12 months reported. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
| Code | Description | Imports for consumption | Average duty rate | Dutiable Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5301210000 | Flax, Broken, Scutched, Hackled Other Proc Nt Spun | — | -- | -- |
Imports · August 2026
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rate provision · imports
None recorded for this period.