Chapter 21 Miscellaneous edible preparations

What is included in HS chapter 21

This chapter gathers foods that have been made, mixed or processed beyond a raw state, but do not fit the other food chapters. Typical goods are instant coffee, yeast, baking powder, ketchup, soup, ice cream and protein concentrates.

The first six digits of a code are the same in every country that uses the Harmonized System. That makes the chapter 21 HS code a safe base for harmonized system classification. Traders in different countries can then talk about the same product in the same way.

HS code 21 headings by product

Each heading has its own page, where every code is listed. The short map below links product names to headings, with a few example codes.

• Instant coffee and tea extracts sit in heading 2101. Example: 210111 for coffee extracts and concentrates, or 210112 for preparations with a coffee basis.
• Yeast and baking powder sit in heading 2102.
• Soya sauce, ketchup and mustard sit in heading 2103. Example: 210310 for soya sauce and 210320 for tomato ketchup.
• Soups and broths sit in heading 2104, next to blended food preparations for infants and similar uses.
• Ice cream sits in heading 2105. It has a single code, 210500.
• Protein concentrates and other foods with no better home sit in heading 2106. Example: 210610.

How to choose the right Chapter 21 code

Begin with the product itself. Ask what it is made of and how it is used. A bottle of soya sauce is a seasoning, so it belongs with sauces. A tin of broth is a soup product, so it belongs with soups. The same kitchen shelf can hold goods from two different headings.

Be careful with yeast. Dead single-cell micro-organisms are grouped with yeast, but vaccines are excluded. Vaccines are classified in heading 3002, outside this chapter.

Treat heading 2106 as the last stop, not the first. The letters n.e.c. mean not elsewhere specified or included, so check the named headings before you use it. Protein concentrates have their own code, 210610. Everything else that remains goes to 210690. If you are still unsure after reading the descriptions, try the HS code classifier.

Related chapters to check

Some goods sit close to a neighbouring chapter, so it helps to look next door. Chapter 22 covers drinks, spirits and vinegar, so a finished beverage does not belong here.

Bakery goods and products made from cereals, flour, starch or milk are in Chapter 19. You can also browse all HS code chapters to see the full list.

Who imports miscellaneous edible preparations: HS code 21 import and 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. Start with import data or export data, or go straight to buyer data and supplier data for edible preparations.