Chapter 18 Cocoa and cocoa preparations

What HS code 18 cocoa and cocoa preparations includes

It starts with raw beans and ends with chocolate. Shells, paste, butter and powder sit in between.

It belongs to Section IV prepared foodstuffs, the group for food, drink and tobacco. Every chapter splits into four-digit headings. Each heading splits again into six-digit subheadings. Traders write the six-digit code on shipping papers. Some countries talk about an HSN code for cocoa, and its first six digits match the HS.

Each heading has its own page with the full list of codes under it. Open the one that fits your product using the links below.

Cocoa beans, paste, butter and powder (1801 to 1805)

The first five headings cover cocoa before it becomes a finished food. Each one is a single step in the chain from farm to factory.

Cocoa beans HS code 1801 has just one six-digit code, 180100. Whole beans, broken beans, raw beans and roasted beans all land there. Roasting does not send them to another code.

Heading 1802 holds the cocoa shells, husks, skins and other waste. These are the parts left over from the bean.

Heading 1803 is cocoa paste, also called cocoa liquor. It splits on fat. Code 180310 is paste with the fat still in it. Code 180320 is paste where some or all of the fat has been taken out.

Cocoa butter, fat and oil go together in heading 1804, under 180400. It is the fat pressed out of the bean.

Heading 1805 is unsweetened cocoa powder. Its single code, 180500, is for powder with nothing sweet mixed in.

HS code for chocolate and food preparations containing cocoa (1806)

Chocolate HS code 1806 is the busiest heading in the chapter. Its codes split by sweetening, weight and form.

Code 180620 is for blocks, slabs and bars over 2kg. It also takes bulk chocolate in liquid, paste, powder or granular form when the pack holds more than 2kg.

Bars of 2kg or less have two codes. Code 180631 is for filled bars. Code 180632 is for bars that are not filled. Code 180690 catches the rest: cocoa food preparations that no other code in the chapter names.

The page for heading 1806 shows all of these side by side.

How to choose the right Chapter 18 code

Most mistakes happen between two close codes. Ask these questions in order.

If you are still unsure, run the product through the HS code classifier. Then read the heading page to check the wording.

• Powder: is a sweetener mixed in? If not, use 1805. If yes, use 180610.
• Paste: has fat been removed? If not, use 180310. If some or all has, use 180320.
• Bulk or large pieces: does the pack or bar weigh over 2kg? Use 180620.
• Bars of 2kg or less: use 180631 when filled and 180632 when not filled.
• Nothing else fits: check 180690 last.

HS Code 18 import and export data

Once you know your code, you can look at the trade behind it. 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.