Chapter 13 Lac; gums, resins and other vegetable saps and extracts
2 headings · 11 six-digit codes · World Customs Organization Harmonized System
HS code 13 lac is the place to start if you trade in lac, natural gums, resins or plant extracts, from gum arabic to agar-agar. Use this page to see how the chapter is split and how to pick the right code.
9 of Chapter 13’s 11 six-digit codes sit under a single heading, 1302 (Vegetable saps and extracts; pectic substances, pectinates and pectates; agar-agar and…). The other 2 are spread across the remaining 1 headings, running from 1301 to 1302. The chapter sits in Section II, Vegetable Products, alongside 8 other chapters.
Headings in this chapter
What HS code 13 lac covers
These goods are sticky, gelling or thickening substances. Some are tapped from trees, like gums and resins. Others are made by extracting plant material, like liquorice extract, hops extract and pectin.
Lac is a resin made by insects that feed on trees. It sits here with the natural gums because it is a raw material used in coatings and polishes.
The chapter is easy to read once you know the split. One part is for gums and resins as they come from nature. The other part is for extracts and thickeners that are processed from plants. Each heading has its own page that lists its six-digit codes in full.
Heading 1301: lac, gum arabic and natural resins
Think of this heading as the raw sap shelf. Balsams are the example the official wording gives. An oleoresin is a natural mix of oil and resin that flows out of a plant.
Gum arabic has a line of its own, 130120. It is used as a binder and stabiliser in food, drinks and other goods. If you need the HS code for gum arabic, start there.
Every other gum or resin of this kind goes to 130190. This is the catch-all line, marked n.e.c., which means not elsewhere classified. Use it last.
Heading 1302: saps, plant extracts, pectin and thickeners
This heading is wider. It has three groups of goods.
- Saps and extracts: named lines cover opium, liquorice, hops and ephedra. A liquorice extract goes to 130212 and a hops extract to 130213. Other plant extracts fall into the residual line 130219.
- Pectic substances: pectin, pectinates and pectates go to 130220.
- Mucilages and thickeners: agar-agar goes to 130231. Thickeners from locust beans, locust bean seeds or guar seeds go to 130232, so guar gum and locust bean gum belong there. Other plant thickeners go to 130239.
How to choose the right Chapter 13 code
Start with what the product is. Then pick the most specific line that fits. A named line always comes before a residual line. The residual lines in this chapter are 130190, 130219 and 130239.
Some goods look like they belong here but sit in a neighbouring chapter. Seeds and medicinal plants themselves are in Chapter 12. Plaiting materials and other plant products not named elsewhere are in Chapter 14. Check the product itself, not only its use.
If you are still unsure, the HS code classifier can help you turn a product description into a code.
HS code 13 import and export data on EximDataX
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.
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Related
- HS code 1301 lac, gum arabic and natural resins
- HS code 1302 vegetable saps, extracts and thickeners
- Chapter 12 oil seeds and industrial or medicinal plants
- Chapter 14 vegetable plaiting materials
- All HS code chapters
- Chapter 13 import data
- Chapter 13 export data
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Other chapters in Section II
Vegetable Products covers chapters 06–14.
- 06Trees and other plants, live; bulbs, roots and the like; cut flowers and ornamental foliage4 headings · 16 codes
- 07Vegetables and certain roots and tubers; edible14 headings · 73 codes
- 08Fruit and nuts, edible; peel of citrus fruit or melons14 headings · 70 codes
- 09Coffee, tea, mate and spices10 headings · 39 codes
- 10Cereals8 headings · 26 codes
- 11Products of the milling industry; malt, starches, inulin, wheat gluten9 headings · 27 codes
- 12Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruit, industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder14 headings · 50 codes
- 14Vegetable plaiting materials; vegetable products not elsewhere specified or included2 headings · 5 codes
These codes carry real shipments.
EximDataX shows the live import–export records filed under Chapter 13: named buyers, suppliers, quantities and values from official customs feeds.
HS Chapter 13: common questions
What is HS Code 13?
It is a chapter of the Harmonized System for plant gums, resins, saps, extracts and thickeners, plus lac.
What is the HS code for gum arabic?
Gum arabic is classed as 130120, under heading 1301.
What is the difference between heading 1301 and 1302?
Heading 1301 is for lac and for gums and resins taken straight from nature. Heading 1302 is for extracts, pectic substances and thickeners made from plants.
Which HS code covers agar-agar and guar or locust bean thickeners?
Agar-agar is 130231. Thickeners from locust beans or guar seeds are 130232.
How do I find the correct HS code for my product under Chapter 13?
First decide whether it is a raw gum or resin or a processed extract or thickener. Then choose a named line before any n.e.c. line, and use the HS code classifier if you are unsure.
See what your buyers are buying.Then decide.
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