Chapter 16 Meat, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, or insects; preparations thereof

What HS Code 16 covers

Raw meat and raw fish are placed in other chapters. A product comes here once it has been processed, such as canned, cooked, minced or made into a sausage.

The chapter also takes in preparations made from insects, blood and meat offal. Traders in India often say HSN code 16 for the same chapter. The first six digits are shared by all countries. Each country then adds its own extra digits for national tariff lines, so always check your local schedule too.

Chapter 16 headings in plain words

The chapter is split into five headings. Each one has its own page with the full list of six-digit subheadings. Here is what each heading holds.

• 1601: sausages and similar products made of meat, offal, blood or insects, plus food preparations based on them.
• This heading is split by animal.
• 1604: prepared or preserved fish, plus caviar and caviar substitutes made from fish eggs.

How to choose the right Chapter 16 code

Most mistakes come from picking the right heading but the wrong subheading. Ask three questions in order: what is it made from, what form is it in, and how is it packed?

Start with the animal. Under 1602, turkey meat goes to 160231 and chicken meat goes to 160232. Other poultry, swine, bovine meat and liver have their own lines. Bovine meat is 160250. Liver, apart from homogenised preparations, is 160220. Finely blended, homogenised meat is 160210. Sausages are simpler: they go to 160100.

Next, check the form. In heading 1604, fish that is whole or in pieces has a species line. Fish that is minced goes to 160420 instead. Canned tuna in pieces is therefore not the same code as tuna paste.

Then check the packing. Prepared shrimps and prawns split on one point: 160521 is for those not in airtight containers, and 160529 is for those in airtight containers. Caviar is also split. Real caviar is 160431, while products made from other fish eggs and sold as substitutes are 160432.

If your product is only an extract or juice, look at heading 1603. If you are still unsure, try the HS code classifier.

Prepared fish and seafood codes: tuna, shrimp, squid and more

Heading 1604 names many fish one by one. These include salmon, herrings, sardines, mackerel, anchovies, eels and shark fins. Tunas, skipjack tuna and bonito share one line. Fish not named anywhere else fall into a catch-all line. The canned tuna code is 160414.

Heading 1605 covers everything that is not a fish. Crab, shrimps, prawns and lobster come first. Then come molluscs such as oysters, scallops, mussels, squid, octopus, clams and abalone. The last group is other aquatic invertebrates, such as sea cucumbers, sea urchins and jellyfish. Open the heading pages to see every subheading and its exact wording.

HS code 16 meat import export data on EximDataX

Knowing the code is step one. Step two is seeing who trades it. Here is what EximDataX offers for this chapter.

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.

Chapter 16 records are listed on the import data and export data pages. For contacts, go to buyer data or supplier data.

Related chapters in Section IV

Food products often move between neighbouring chapters. Fruit and vegetable preparations are in Chapter 20. Soups, sauces and other mixed foods are in Chapter 21. Fish meal and animal feed are in Chapter 23. You can also browse all HS code chapters.