Section IV · Prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirits and vinegar; tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes; Products, whether or not containing nicotine, intended for inhalation without combustion; Other nicotine containing products intended for the intake of nicotine into the human body

Chapter 16: Preparations of meat, of fish, of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, or of insects

Chapter 16 of the Harmonized System has 5 four-digit headings, from 16.01 to 16.05. Each heading is split further into six-digit subheadings, then into national 8- and 10-digit commodity codes.

Headings in chapter 16

HeadingDescription
16.01Sausages and similar products, of meat, meat offal, blood or insects; food preparations based on these products
16.02Other prepared or preserved meat, meat offal, blood or insects
16.03Extracts and juices of meat, fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates
16.04Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs
16.05Crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, prepared or preserved

Classifying goods in chapter 16

Start with the chapter and section notes: they are legally binding and often decide what is included or excluded. Then choose the heading whose wording best describes your product (GRI 1), and work down to the six-digit subheading before choosing the national commodity code.

The six-digit code is shared internationally. The UK and EU add digits for their own tariffs and statistics, and the US uses its own 10-digit HTS lines, so always confirm the final code in the tariff of the country you are importing into.

Official sources

Check chapter 16 in the UK Trade Tariff, the EU TARIC and the US HTS.