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20

Official Chapter Guide

Prepared vegetables, fruits, nuts, and plant parts, excluding certain preserved and composite foods.

Tariff Landscape

Overview

  • Many products in Chapter 20 are dutiable, with specific tariffs based on preparation methods and content.
  • There are typically no direct Section 301 or Section 232 implications but thorough understanding of trade policies is needed.
  • Watch for potential antidumping (ADD) and countervailing duties (CVD) an products like preserved olives and nuts, potentially from certain countries.

Classification Strategy

Guidance

  • Common errors involve incorrectly classifying prepared or preserved vegetables and fruits under Chapter 7, 8, or 11 instead of Chapter 20.
  • High-risk area: Correctly identifying food preparations that contain multiple ingredient types, especially if above 20% meat content.
  • Classification complexity increases with homogenized products due to special definitions and subheading precedences.

Legal Framework

Executive Summary

Summary

  • Excludes vegetables, fruits, or nuts preserved by Chapter 7, 8, or 11 methods.
  • Excludes vegetable fats and oils (Chapter 15).
  • Excludes food preparations with over 20% meat, seafood, or animal products (Chapter 16).
  • Excludes bakers' wares (Heading 1905) and homogenized composite foods (Heading 2104).
  • Specific definitions clarify classification for tomato juice, fruit preparations, and juices based on conditions like dry weight and Brix value.
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