Biscuits|HTS Code

Biscuits harmonized system code

Product Overview Biscuits classified under HTS 1905.31 are baked, shelf-stable bakery products composed primarily of wheat flour, sugar, edible fats/oils and leavening agents, produced as discrete unit pieces (plain, sweetened, filled or laminated). Key characteristics include low free water activity (aw typically ≤0.60; finished moisture content commonly 2–8%), nominal piece weight (2–50 g per unit), and typical dimensions (diameter 20–80 mm for round biscuits). Processing involves mixing, sheeting or molding, baking to target moisture and texture parameters, and optional surface treatments (glazing, icing, cream filling). Quality attributes assessed for commercial acceptance include uniformity of bake color (Maillard indices), texture profile analysis (crispness, fracture force in N), package integrity and declared allergen control. Product classifications under 1905.31 commonly distinguish plain sweet biscuits, sugar‑coated or glazed biscuits, cream‑filled sandwich biscuits and savory variants declared as biscuits by composition and commerce; products in which cocoa or chocolate coating predominates may be classified under alternative cocoa headings. Commercial applications include retail consumer packs, foodservice supply, ingredient supply for further processing and use as crumb or inclusions in confectionery and bakery manufacture. HTS Code Classification & Trade Specifications Full 6‑digit HTS structure: Chapter 19 (Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastry‑cooks' products) → Heading 1905 (Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers' wares) → Subheading 1905.31 (190531) for sweet or similar baked biscuits. Classification rationale is based on composition (predominant wheat flour and sugar), physical form (discrete baked pieces), and method of preparation (baking rather than frying), consistent with the Harmonized System legal notes and the General Rules for Interpretation; products with predominant cocoa or chocolate content require re‑evaluation against cocoa headings. Trade considerations: typical packaging formats include retail pouches (50–500 g), retail cartons, corrugated cases (5–20 kg) and palletized loads (commonly 480–720 cases per pallet); preservation commonly uses moisture‑barrier films, nitrogen‑flush or modified atmosphere packaging to achieve 6–12 months shelf life at 15–25 °C with controlled relative humidity. Required documentation and quality specifications for customs and compliance: accurate 6‑digit HTS number on commercial invoices, country of origin marking, lot/batch codes, declared allergens, FSMA/HACCP compliance evidence, and agreed analytical limits for moisture/water activity and organoleptic acceptance criteria.

Biscuits Chapter Note

1.- This Chapter does not cover : (a) Except in the case of stuffed products of heading 19.02, 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); (b) Biscuits or other articles made from flour or from starch, specially prepared for use in animal feeding (heading 23.09); or (c) Medicaments or other products of Chapter 30. 2.- For the purposes of heading 19.01 : (a) The term “groats” means cereal groats of Chapter 11; (b) The terms “flour” and “meal” mean : (1) Cereal flour and meal of Chapter 11, and (2) Flour, meal and powder of vegetable origin of any Chapter, other than flour, meal or powder of dried vegetables (heading 07.12), of potatoes (heading 11.05) or of dried leguminous vegetables (heading 11.06). 3.- Heading 19.04 does not cover preparations containing more than 6 % by weight of cocoa calculated on a totally defatted basis or completely coated with chocolate or other food preparations containing cocoa of heading 18.06 (heading 18.06). 4.- For the purposes of heading 19.04, the expression “otherwise prepared” means prepared or processed to an extent beyond that provided for in the headings of or Notes to Chapter 10 or 11.