Tomato paste Hs Code

Tomato paste harmonized system code

Product Overview Tomato paste classified under HS Code 200290 is a concentrated tomato product obtained by cooking and straining ripe tomatoes to remove skins and seeds, resulting in a dense, viscous paste typically containing 24-36% soluble solids. This product exhibits a deep red color, uniform texture, and a characteristic acidic and sweet flavor profile. It undergoes thermal processing to ensure microbial safety and extended shelf life, with quality attributes including pH levels ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 and controlled moisture content below 80%. Within HS Code 200290, subcategories differentiate tomato paste by concentration levels and packaging types, such as bulk containers, aseptic pouches, or canned formats. Commercially, tomato paste serves as a foundational ingredient in food service sectors, retail culinary applications, and large-scale food manufacturing, particularly in sauces, soups, and ready meals. Its high concentration enhances flavor intensity and reduces transportation volume, offering a cost-effective and shelf-stable solution preferred by international buyers and processors. The product’s consistency and compliance with international quality standards position it competitively in global markets, facilitating streamlined integration into diverse supply chains. HS Code Classification & Trade Specifications The HS Code 200290 falls under Chapter 20 (Preparations of vegetables, fruit, nuts or other parts of plants) and Heading 2002 (Tomatoes prepared or preserved), with subheading 200290 specifically designating tomato paste and puree excluding those with added sugar or vinegar. This classification is based on the product’s preparation method—cooking, straining, and concentration—distinguishing it from other tomato preparations such as sauces or ketchups. Standard international trade packaging includes hermetically sealed metal cans, retort pouches, or aseptic cartons with net weights ranging from 100 grams to 25 kilograms, ensuring product integrity during maritime or air transport. Preservation methods rely on thermal sterilization and controlled atmosphere packaging to maintain microbiological safety and physicochemical stability. Compliance with Codex Alimentarius standards and relevant ISO norms guarantees consistent quality, including soluble solids content, acidity, and absence of contaminants. Accurate classification under HS Code 200290 supports customs valuation, tariff determination, and adherence to WTO import-export regulations, thereby facilitating efficient clearance and reducing trade disputes for importers, customs brokers, and regulatory authorities.

Tomato paste 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.