Starch|HS Code

Starch harmonized system code

Product Overview Starch, identified under Harmonized System (HS) Code 1108, is a carbohydrate extracted from agricultural raw material. It is primarily a white, tasteless, and odorless powder that is insoluble in cold water or alcohol. This product undergoes various levels of processing, including wet-milling, enzymatic, and heat treatment, to ensure top-tier quality and versatility. HS Code 1108 further subdivides the product classification into several categories such as chemically modified, esterified, and etherified starches, each offering unique properties and applications. Commercially, starch finds extensive use in the food service and retail industries as a thickener, stabilizer, and sweetener. Additionally, it serves the processing industry as an adhesive in paper manufacturing. Starch's value proposition lies in its natural origin, cost-effectiveness, and multifunctionality, making it a competitive product in the agro-based commodities market. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications HS Code 1108 specifically categorizes starch and inulin. Its hierarchical breakdown is as follows: Chapter 11 (Products of the milling industry; malt; starches; inulin; wheat gluten), Heading 08 (Starches; Inulin). The rationale behind this classification is that starch is a milled product, derived from various agricultural sources. Trade considerations for this product include packaging in moisture-proof containers or bags to prevent moisture absorption, which could affect the product's quality and shelf-life. It is typically shipped in dry, cool conditions to ensure its stability during transit. The quality of starch is measured in terms of its purity, viscosity, and moisture content, among other factors. Compliance with international standards such as the Codex Alimentarius and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is mandatory. The specifications in this description are in line with the World Trade Organization's trade documentation standards and the international trade classification systems, making it a reliable reference for trade professionals.

Starch Chapter Note

1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Roasted malt put up as coffee substitutes (heading 09.01 or 21.01); (b) Prepared flours, groats, meals or starches of heading 19.01; (c) Corn flakes or other products of heading 19.04; (d) Vegetables, prepared or preserved, of heading 20.01, 20.04 or 20.05; (e) Pharmaceutical products (Chapter 30); or (f) Starches having the character of perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations (Chapter 33). 2.- (A) Products from the milling of the cereals listed in the table below fall in this Chapter if they have, by weight on the dry product : (a) a starch content (determined by the modified Ewers polarimetric method) exceeding that indicated in Column (2); and (b) an ash content (after deduction of any added minerals) not exceeding that indicated in Column (3). Otherwise, they fall in heading 23.02. However, germ of cereals, whole, rolled, flaked or ground, is always classified in heading 11.04. (B) Products falling in this Chapter under the above provisions shall be classified in heading 11.01 or 11.02 if the percentage passing through a woven metal wire cloth sieve with the aperture indicated in Column (4) or (5) is not less, by weight, than that shown against the cereal concerned. Otherwise, they fall in heading 11.03 or 11.04. 3.- For the purposes of heading 11.03, the terms “groats” and “meal” mean products obtained by the fragmentation of cereal grains, of which : (a) in the case of maize (corn) products, at least 95 % by weight passes through a woven metal wire cloth sieve with an aperture of 2 mm; (b) in the case of other cereal products, at least 95 % by weight passes through a woven metal wire cloth sieve with an aperture of 1.25 mm.