Chapter 01 Animals; live

HS code for live animals: common animals and their codes

Most people search by animal name, not by customs wording. This list maps everyday names to the six-digit subheading that fits. The descriptions follow the World Customs Organization Harmonized System.

Horses, asses, mules and hinnies sit in heading 0101. Live poultry other than young chicks, such as ducks, geese, turkeys and guinea fowls, sits in heading 0105. Each heading page lists every code it holds.

• Day-old chicks and young chickens: 010511, fowls of the species Gallus domesticus weighing not more than 185g
• Pure-bred breeding cattle: 010221. Other live cattle: 010229
• Pure-bred breeding buffalo: 010231
• Live pigs other than pure-bred breeding animals, under 50kg: 010391. At 50kg or more: 010392
• Sheep: 010410. Goats: 010420
• Camels and other camelids: 010613
• Reptiles, including snakes and turtles: 010620
• Parrots (Psittaciformes): 010632
• Bees: 010641

How to choose the right HS code 01 subheading

Work in three steps. First, name the animal. That gives you the heading. Second, ask whether it is a pure-bred breeding animal. Headings 0101, 0102 and 0103 all split on this point, so a breeding horse, a breeding bull and a breeding sow each go to a different code from their non-breeding cousins.

Third, check the weight if the heading asks for it. Swine are split at 50kg. Poultry is split at 185g, and that line separates day-old chicks from grown birds. A light pig and a heavy pig land in different codes, and so do a chick and a hen.

Read the full description before you pick a code, not just the animal name. Also remember that national tariff lines extend the six digits. Check the line your own country uses before you file.

Heading 0106: other live animals

Heading 0106 is the catch-all for live animals that have no heading of their own. It is built in four groups. Mammals come first: primates, whales, dolphins and porpoises, camels and other camelids, rabbits and hares, and a code for all other mammals. Reptiles come next, then birds, then insects.

The bird codes name birds of prey, parrots, and ostriches with emus, with a code for other birds. The insect codes separate bees from all other insects. A last code takes any remaining live animal.

Because this heading mixes so many animals, always match the exact description. Open the heading page to see each code in full.

Common classification mistakes and related chapters

Chapter 01 holds animals that are alive. Once an animal is slaughtered, processed or turned into a food or material, it moves to another chapter. Two splits cause most errors: pure-bred breeding status and animal weight. The list below shows where the nearby goods go.

• Live fish, crustaceans and other aquatic invertebrates: Chapter 03
• Meat and edible meat offal: Chapter 02
• Birds' eggs and natural honey: Chapter 04
• Other animal products not named elsewhere: Chapter 05

Live animal import and export records by HS code

EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources. Coverage is 43 direct customs feeds plus 184 mirror-derived countries. Named buyers and named suppliers are available in 38 of the 43 direct markets. Most markets refresh weekly and some refresh daily.

Once you know your code, you can search by it to see who imports and exports that product, and you can book a free demo. Classification is only one step in a shipment, so confirm import requirements with your customs authority.