HS Code 1515Fixed vegetable or microbial fats and oils n.e.c. in chapter 15 (including jojoba oil) and their fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified

What does HS code 1515 cover?

Think of heading 1515 as the home for plant and microbial oils that have no heading of their own. Linseed oil, maize (corn) oil, castor oil and sesame oil each get named codes. Microbial fats and oils also get their own code. It has no code of its own, so it goes to the residual code 151590 along with any other oil that fits the heading.

Two phrases in the heading matter for classification. The first is "fractions". A fraction is a part separated out of an oil, and it is classed with the oil it came from. The second is "not chemically modified". An oil may be refined and still sit in 1515. Once a chemical reaction changes its structure, it moves to another heading.

Customs offices in many countries add extra digits after the first six. That is why the same oil can have a longer national tariff code. The six-digit part is shared, so it is the safest place to start. If you are unsure, the HS code classifier can help you narrow down the product.

Crude vs refined oil: how the subheadings split

Only two oils in this heading are split by how far they are processed. For the others, one code covers the oil whether it is crude or refined. Here is how it works:

• Linseed oil: 151511 is for crude oil. 151519 is for linseed oil that is not crude.
• 151529 is for corn oil that is not crude.
• Castor oil: 151530 covers it in any state, refined or not.
• Sesame oil: 151550 covers it in any state, refined or not.
• Microbial fats and oils: 151560 covers them in any state, refined or not.
• This is where jojoba oil goes.

How to confirm the correct HS code for vegetable oil

Because 1515 is a catch-all heading, check the sibling headings first. Name the plant the oil comes from. If it is soya-bean, ground nut, olive, palm, sunflower, safflower, cotton-seed, coconut, palm kernel, babassu, rape, colza or mustard oil, it has its own heading. Only oils left over come to 1515.

Then check how the oil was treated. Oil that is partly or wholly hydrogenated, inter-esterified, re-esterified or elaidinised belongs in 1516. Oil that is boiled, oxidised, dehydrated or otherwise chemically modified belongs in 1518.

Use this short guide to send an oil to the right place:

• Soya-bean oil: heading 1507.
• Ground nut oil: heading 1508.
• Olive oil: heading 1509. Oils from olives only, including blends with 1509 oils: heading 1510.
• Palm oil: heading 1511.
• Hydrogenated or inter-esterified oils: heading 1516.
• Chemically modified, boiled or oxidised oils: heading 1518.

HS code 1515 import export data

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.