Customs classification
HS codes for imported food
Every consignment that crosses a border is classified, and the code decides the duty, the paperwork and whether a control applies. Classification is the importer responsibility, but it starts with what the supplier tells you the product is.
Last reviewed: 20 September 2026
01
How the code is built
The Harmonized System is maintained by the World Customs Organization and used by more than 200 countries. It runs to 21 sections and 96 chapters, and the first six digits are the same everywhere. Beyond six digits each country adds its own.
| Chapter (2 digits) | The broad category - for example chapter 20, preparations of vegetables and fruit. |
|---|---|
| Heading (4 digits) | The product group within the chapter. |
| Subheading (6 digits) | The last internationally common level. Two countries agree to here and no further. |
| National digits | Added by the importing country. The United States uses a 10-digit HTSUS number; the EU uses an 8-digit CN code, and 10 for import. |
A supplier quoting a six-digit code has told you the international classification, not the code your broker will file. The last four digits are the ones that change the duty rate, and they are the importer responsibility.
02
Where food sits
These are the indicative headings for categories we supply. They are a starting point for a conversation with your broker, not a classification.
| Category | Heading | Chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1006 | 10 - Cereals |
| Pasta | 1902 | 19 - Preparations of cereals |
| Olive oil | 1509 | 15 - Fats and oils |
| Natural honey | 0409 | 04 - Dairy, eggs, honey |
| Salt | 2501 | 25 - Salt, earths and stone |
| Tomatoes, prepared | 2002 | 20 - Preparations of vegetables and fruit |
| Olives, prepared | 2005 | 20 - Preparations of vegetables and fruit |
Note that salt sits in chapter 25 with minerals rather than in the food chapters, and that a prepared vegetable moves out of chapter 07 into chapter 20. Processing changes the chapter, not only the heading.
03
Why classification goes wrong
- The form changed and the code did not. Fresh, frozen, dried and prepared versions of the same vegetable classify in different chapters.
- A recipe change crossed a threshold. Sugar, fat or dairy content can decide a subheading.
- The supplier code was for a different destination. Beyond six digits, a code from one country does not transfer.
- A composite product classified by its main ingredient when the rules point elsewhere.
- The code was copied from a previous shipment of a similar but not identical product.
The consequence is not only duty. Classification drives which controls, licences and inspections apply, so a wrong code can route a consignment into a regime it does not belong in.
04
How we handle it
- The product description issued with a programme is written to support classification - form, processing, composition and packing - rather than as marketing copy
- Where a recipe or format changes, the change is flagged as a classification question and not only a specification update
- Indicative headings are offered as a starting point, and the final classification stays with the importer and their broker, where the legal responsibility sits
Source and scope
Source. The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, World Customs Organization. National tariffs: HTSUS for the United States, the Combined Nomenclature for the European Union.
Scope. Headings shown are indicative and given to illustrate structure. Classification of any specific consignment is the responsibility of the importer of record and must be confirmed with a customs broker or the national tariff. Nothing here is a binding tariff ruling.
Enquiries: sales@alphatradecorp.com