Pickles|HS Code

Pickles harmonized system code

Product Overview Pickles, classified under HS Code 2001, are vegetables or fruits that have undergone the process of pickling. This involves preserving them in vinegar or brine, which gives them their characteristic sour or tangy flavor. The key characteristics of pickles include their physical state (whole, sliced, or diced), their taste profile (from mild to extremely sour), and their processing level (fermented, non-fermented, or sweetened). Pickles under HS Code 2001 can be further classified into subcategories based on the type of vegetable or fruit used, such as cucumbers, olives, onions, etc. Commercially, pickles are widely used in the food service industry, especially in sandwiches, burgers, salads, and as side dishes. They are also retailed in jars for direct consumption. The value proposition of pickles lies in their long shelf-life, versatility in culinary applications, and their distinctive taste which enhances the flavor of various dishes. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications The complete HS Code structure for pickles is as follows: Chapter 20 (Preparations of Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts, or Other Parts of Plants), Heading 01 (Vegetables, Fruit, Nuts, and Other Edible Parts of Plants, Prepared or Preserved by Vinegar or Acetic Acid), and the full 6-digit code is 2001. The classification rationale is due to the pickling process that involves preserving vegetables or fruits in vinegar or acetic acid. When trading pickles, they are commonly packaged in glass jars or cans to ensure their preservation, with each label detailing the product's ingredients, nutritional information, and shelf-life. For shipping, pickles require temperature-controlled environments to maintain their quality. Quality standards for pickles involve complying with food safety regulations, ensuring a consistent taste profile, maintaining a firm texture, and having a clear, vibrant color. These trade and quality details are critical to facilitate smooth customs clearance and to meet the expectations of international buyers.

Pickles Chapter Note

1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Vegetables, fruit or nuts, prepared or preserved by the processes specified in Chapter 7, 8 or 11; (b) Vegetable fats and oils (Chapter 15); (c) Food preparations containing more than 20 % by weight of sausage, meat, meat offal, blood, insects, fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, or any combination thereof (Chapter 16); (d) Bakers’ wares and other products of heading 19.05; or (e) Homogenised composite food preparations of heading 21.04. 2.- Headings 20.07 and 20.08 do not apply to fruit jellies, fruit pastes, sugar-coated almonds or the like in the form of sugar confectionery (heading 17.04) or chocolate confectionery (heading 18.06). 3.- Headings 20.01, 20.04 and 20.05 cover, as the case may be, only those products of Chapter 7 or of heading 11.05 or 11.06 (other than flour, meal and powder of the products of Chapter 8) which have been prepared or preserved by processes other than those referred to in Note 1 (a). 4.- Tomato juice the dry weight content of which is 7 % or more is to be classified in heading 20.02. 5.- For the purposes of heading 20.07, the expression “obtained by cooking” means obtained by heat treatment at atmospheric pressure or under reduced pressure to increase the viscosity of a product through reduction of water content or other means. 6.- For the purposes of heading 20.09, the expression “juices, unfermented and not containing added spirit” means juices of an alcoholic strength by volume (see Note 2 to Chapter 22) not exceeding 0.5 % vol.