HS Code 0205Meat; of horses, asses, mules or hinnies, fresh, chilled or frozen

What HS code 0205 covers

Heading 0205 is the group for equine meat. A hinny is the young of a male horse and a female donkey. In daily speech, these goods are called horse meat or donkey meat.

To fit here, the meat must be fresh, chilled or frozen. Chilled meat is kept cold but not frozen. Once it is cured or cooked in some way, it may belong somewhere else.

The Harmonized System is the shared list that customs offices use for tariff classification. The World Customs Organization publishes it, and the full text is called the WCO nomenclature. Heading 0205 is one small part of that list.

What is HS code 020500?

Heading 0205 has only one code under it: 020500. Its wording matches the heading, so there is nothing to choose between. If your goods are raw equine meat, 020500 is the code.

You may see the same base number under other names. Indian traders say HSN code 0205. US traders say HTS code 0205. Each country builds on the same world code.

Countries may add extra digits to 020500 for their own tariff lines. We do not list those national lines here. To find the right line for your market, try the [HS code classifier](/hs-classifier).

0205 vs nearby headings: picking the right code

Most mistakes come from the part of the animal or the way the product was treated. Check these points before you fill in a form.

• Edible organs of horses go to 0206. That heading also covers the offal of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats.
• Meat that has been salted, put in brine, dried or smoked moves to 0210. That heading also covers edible flours and meals made from meat.
• Heading 0208 is a catch-all for other meat in Chapter 02. Horse meat has its own heading, so it does not go to 0208.
• Other animals have their own headings. Cattle meat is in 0201 and 0202, pig meat is in 0203, and sheep and goat meat is in 0204.

Tips for getting the code right

Start with the animal. If it is a horse, donkey, mule or hinny, think of 0205. For any other animal, look at the neighbouring headings.

Next, look at the part of the animal. Muscle meat goes to 0205, while organs go to 0206. Then check how the goods were treated. Cold or frozen goods stay put. Cured goods move on.

Last, match the words on your invoice to the heading text. A clear product description helps customs agree with your code. If you are unsure, ask your customs broker or check the tariff of the country you ship to.

Who imports horse meat under HS 0205?

Customs records show real shipments, not guesses. To study this trade, search for 0205 in the [import data](/import-data) and [export data](/export-data) sections. The [buyer data](/buyer-data) and [supplier data](/supplier-data) pages show each side of the market.

EximDataX shows shipment-level import and export records from official customs sources. Coverage: 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. You can search by HS code to see who imports and exports a product, and book a free demo.