HS Code 2207Ethyl alcohol, undenatured; of an alcoholic strength by volume of 80% vol. or higher; ethyl alcohol and other spirits, denatured, of any strength

What HS code 2207 covers (ethyl alcohol and ethanol)

Ethanol is the name most people use in trade. Customs papers usually say ethyl alcohol. Both words point to the same product.

The Harmonized System gives every traded product a number. Customs offices use that number for tariff classification. Some traders write HSN code 2207, but the digits are the same.

This heading belongs to Chapter 22, which is part of Section IV. Other drinks and vinegar sit in neighbouring headings, so the strength and treatment of the alcohol matter.

HS 220710 vs 220720: undenatured or denatured

Denatured alcohol has been treated so that people should not drink it. Undenatured alcohol has not been treated this way.

Think of 220710 as the code for plain, high-strength alcohol. The cut-off is an alcoholic strength by volume of 80 vol. or higher. Think of 220720 as the code for treated alcohol. Here the strength does not change the code, and other denatured spirits are included too.

This is the main difference between HS 220710 and 220720. One code looks at strength. The other looks at denaturing first.

How to pick the right code for your ethyl alcohol

Work through these steps in order.

Step 1: ask if the alcohol is denatured. If yes, use 220720 and stop. It is the HS code for denatured alcohol, whatever the strength.

Step 2: if it is not denatured, check the strength. Alcohol at 80 vol. or higher goes to 220710.

Step 3: if it is not denatured and the strength is lower, 2207 is the wrong heading. Move on to 2208.

So the HS code for ethanol is not one single number. It can be 220710 or 220720, or it can fall under 2208. If you are not sure, run the product through the HS code classifier before you file.

HS 2207 vs 2208 and other Chapter 22 headings

Heading 2208 takes undenatured ethyl alcohol with a strength below the 80 vol. line. It also takes spirits, liqueurs and other spirituous drinks. For plain alcohol, strength is the line between 2207 and 2208.

Look at the other headings by product type. Wine of fresh grapes is in 2204. Fermented drinks such as cider, perry, mead and sake are in 2206. Vinegar is in 2209. Choose the heading by what the product is, not by the word alcohol alone.

HS 2207 import and export data: who ships ethyl alcohol

Once you know the code, you can look at who trades under 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. To start, open the import data and export data pages. To find companies, go to buyer data and supplier data for ethanol.