Soap and Organic Surface-Active Products in Bar or Cake Form for Toilet Use

The FDA's consumer antiseptic wash final rules (2016–2017) banned 19 active ingredients from over-the-counter consumer antiseptic wash products, including triclosan, triclocarban, and several other halogenated compounds. Importers of antibacterial soaps must confirm that their formulations do not contain any of these prohibited actives before shipment, as products containing them are considered adulterated and subject to refusal at the port of entry. Consult a licensed customs broker or regulatory counsel to verify current prohibited-ingredient lists.

Both solid bar/cake soaps and paper or nonwoven substrates impregnated or coated with soap for toilet use fall within this heading, provided the product's primary function is personal cleansing. The key classification question is whether the soap or the substrate is the essential character of the article. Importers of soap-impregnated wipes or sheets should document the soap content by weight and function to support the classification, as some formats may alternatively classify under nonwoven or paper headings.