Sesame|HS Code

Sesame harmonized system code

Product Overview Sesame, classified under 1207 of the Harmonized System (HS) Code, pertains to the seeds of the Sesamum indicum plant, a flowering plant native to Africa and now widely grown in tropical regions around the world. The seeds are small, flat, and oval-shaped with a nutty taste and a delicate, almost invisible, crunch. They come in a host of different colors, depending upon the variety, including white, yellow, black, and red. Within HS Code 1207, Sesame seeds fall under subcategory 1207.40.00. This product's key commercial applications span across food service, retail, and processing industries. They are commonly used as topping for bread and buns, ground into a paste for sauces like tahini, or toasted and added to salads and stir-fry dishes. Sesame seeds' value proposition lies in their rich nutritional content, including high-quality protein, dietary fiber, and a range of important minerals, and their adaptability to various culinary uses. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications The full 6-digit HS Code for Sesame is 1207.40, which falls under Chapter 12 (Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds, and fruit; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder), Heading 07 (Other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits, whether or not broken). Sesame seeds are classified under this code because they are oil seeds, used both for direct consumption and for the extraction of sesame oil. Trade considerations for Sesame include sturdy packaging in multi-wall paper or poly-woven bags to preserve freshness, prevent contamination, and facilitate transportation. Shipping requirements often specify storage in cool, dry conditions to maintain product quality. On a global scale, quality standards for Sesame usually require the seeds to be free from living insects, moulds, and abnormal external moisture. Precise technical specifications, such as oil content, purity, and moisture levels, may vary depending on the importing country's regulations, highlighting the need for compliance with WTO and customs documentation standards.

Sesame Chapter Note

1.- Heading 12.07 applies, inter alia, to palm nuts and kernels, cotton seeds, castor oil seeds, sesamum seeds, mustard seeds, safflower seeds, poppy seeds and shea nuts (karite nuts). It does not apply to products of heading 08.01 or 08.02 or to olives (Chapter 7 or Chapter 20). 2.- Heading 12.08 applies not only to non-defatted flours and meals but also to flours and meals which have been partially defatted or defatted and wholly or partially refatted with their original oils. It does not, however, apply to residues of headings 23.04 to 23.06. 3.- For the purposes of heading 12.09, beet seeds, grass and other herbage seeds, seeds of ornamental flowers, vegetable seeds, seeds of forest trees, seeds of fruit trees, seeds of vetches (other than those of the species Vicia faba) or of lupines are to be regarded as “seeds of a kind used for sowing”. Heading 12.09 does not, however, apply to the following even if for sowing : (a) Leguminous vegetables or sweet corn (Chapter 7); (b) Spices or other products of Chapter 9; (c) Cereals (Chapter 10); or (d) Products of headings 12.01 to 12.07 or 12.11. 4.- Heading 12.11 applies, inter alia, to the following plants or parts thereof : basil, borage, ginseng, hyssop, liquorice, all species of mint, rosemary, rue, sage and wormwood. Heading 12.11 does not, however, apply to : (a) Medicaments of Chapter 30; (b) Perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations of Chapter 33; or (c) Insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, disinfectants or similar products of heading 38.08. 5.- For the purposes of heading 12.12, the term “seaweeds and other algae” does not include : (a) Dead single-cell micro-organisms of heading 21.02; (b) Cultures of micro-organisms of heading 30.02; or (c) Fertilisers of heading 31.01 or 31.05.