The key distinction is the spinning preparation: combed wool fabric is made from yarn where short fibers have been removed and long fibers aligned, yielding a smooth worsted surface. Carded wool fabric uses a less refined preparation, producing a softer, more textured hand. The fiber preparation method — not the finished fabric's appearance alone — controls classification.

Fine animal hair such as cashmere, mohair, or alpaca is explicitly included in this heading alongside combed wool. A blend of combed wool and combed cashmere would still be classified here, with the applicable subheading determined by the total percentage of wool and fine animal hair combined relative to any manmade fiber content.