HS Code 1803Cocoa; paste; whether or not defatted

What HS code 1803 covers

Cocoa paste is cocoa beans ground into a thick, smooth mass. Many traders call it cocoa mass or cocoa liquor, even though it holds no alcohol. All three names point to the same goods, and customs offices file them under this heading.

You may also see people write HSN code 1803. The number is the same. HSN is simply the name some markets use for the Harmonized System code. The heading belongs to Chapter 18, the part of the system built for cocoa and cocoa products.

Use this heading for the paste itself. If your product is a bean, a shell, a fat, a powder or a bar, it belongs somewhere else. The part on neighbouring headings below shows where each one goes.

HS code 180310 vs 180320: how to choose

The only question that matters here is fat. Cocoa beans hold natural cocoa fat. When that fat stays in the paste, the paste is not defatted. When some or all of it is pressed out, the paste is defatted.

Pick the code like this:

• 180310: use it for cocoa paste that is not defatted and still holds its natural fat.
• Partly defatted paste goes here, not in 180310.

How to tell which code fits your cocoa paste

Check the product sheet, or ask your supplier whether any fat was removed. If the sheet says natural cocoa mass with nothing taken out, look at 180310. If it says the paste was defatted in any way, look at 180320. Searches such as cocoa paste not defatted or defatted cocoa paste lead to these same two lines.

If you cannot tell, ask for the specification before you file. A wrong code can lead to questions at customs and to messy trade records later.

What is not classified under 1803

Many goods that come from cocoa look close to paste but have their own headings in the same chapter. Check this list before you settle on a code.

A simple rule helps. If the goods are still beans or waste, look at 1801 or 1802. If the fat was taken out and is sold on its own, look at 1804. If the goods are a plain powder, look at 1805. If sugar or other ingredients were added to make a food, look at 1806.

• Whole or broken cocoa beans, raw or roasted: heading 1801
• Cocoa shells, husks, skins and other cocoa waste: heading 1802
• Cocoa butter, fat and oil: heading 1804
• Cocoa powder with no added sugar or other sweetener: heading 1805
• Chocolate and other food preparations that contain cocoa: heading 1806

Cocoa paste import and export data

Customs records show what crossed a border, who sent it and who received it. For cocoa paste, that means records filed under 1803, 180310 and 180320.

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. Each country adds extra digits to the six-digit code for its own tariff lines. The HS code classifier can help you find the right line before you trade.