Sesame seeds Hs Code

Sesame seeds harmonized system code

Product Overview Sesame seeds classified under HS Code 120740 refer to the cleaned, hulled or unhulled seeds of the Sesamum indicum plant, primarily used as an oilseed or food ingredient. These seeds are typically small, oval-shaped, and range in color from white and cream to brown and black, depending on the variety. Processing levels vary from raw, cleaned seeds to toasted or hulled forms, with moisture content generally maintained below 8% to ensure optimal shelf life and quality. Quality attributes include uniform size distribution, absence of foreign matter, minimal broken seeds, and compliance with food safety standards such as ISO 22000 and HACCP. HS Code 120740 encompasses sesame seeds both hulled and unhulled, excluding sesame seed oil or pastes, thus covering subcategories differentiated by treatment and physical condition. Commercially, these seeds serve as a raw material in bakery products, confectionery, oil extraction, and seasoning blends, making them integral to food service, retail packaging, and industrial processing sectors. Their value proposition is anchored on natural nutritional benefits, versatility, and consistent supply quality, which underpin their competitive positioning in global commodity markets. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications The full HS Code 120740 falls under Chapter 12: “Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits,” Heading 1207: “Other oil seeds and oleaginous fruits,” and Subheading 120740: “Sesame seeds.” This classification aligns with international customs nomenclature as maintained by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and ensures harmonized tariff treatment worldwide. Sesame seeds are classified here due to their botanical origin, oil content exceeding 40%, and primary use as an oilseed or food ingredient distinct from prepared or processed derivatives. Trade considerations include packaging in jute bags, woven polypropylene sacks, or bulk containers, typically in quantities ranging from 25 to 50 kilograms to facilitate handling and transport. Preservation methods emphasize moisture control, pest prevention, and temperature regulation to maintain seed integrity during transit. Quality standards mandated by importing countries often require compliance with maximum limits for contaminants, pesticide residues, and aflatoxins, consistent with Codex Alimentarius guidelines. Documentation must accurately reflect HS classification to ensure tariff accuracy, customs clearance efficiency, and adherence to WTO trade facilitation agreements, supporting seamless international commerce of sesame seeds under HS Code 120740.

Sesame seeds 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.