HS code · 2-digit chapter

HS Code 03 – Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates

What HS 03 covers

Chapter 03 of the Harmonized System (HS) is dedicated to "Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates," encompassing a vast array of aquatic animal products primarily intended for human consumption. This chapter covers these products in various states: live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, or in brine, and smoked. It also includes flours, meals, and pellets of fish or crustaceans, molluscs, or other aquatic invertebrates, fit for human consumption. The scope is broad, covering whole animals, fillets, roe, and other edible parts, but strictly excludes preparations and preserves (which fall under Chapter 16) or products rendered inedible or intended for non-food uses (e.g., animal feed in Chapter 23 or certain animal products in Chapter 05). Key sub-categories include live fish (0301), fresh or chilled fish (0302), frozen fish (0303), fish fillets and other fish meat (0304), dried, salted, or smoked fish (0305), crustaceans (0306), molluscs (0307), and other aquatic invertebrates like sea cucumbers or jellyfish (0308). Accurate classification under Chapter 03 is paramount for trade compliance, determining applicable import duties, quotas, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements, CITES regulations for endangered species, and origin rules. Seafood is a globally traded commodity, vital for food security and the economies of many coastal and island nations, with the trade volume significantly increasing due to advancements in refrigeration and logistics, making precise classification critical for seamless global supply chains.

Covers
  • Live ornamental koi carp
  • Fresh Atlantic salmon fillets
  • Frozen headless shell-on shrimp
  • Chilled whole snapper
  • Dried salted codfish
  • Smoked mackerel fillets
  • Live blue crabs
  • Frozen squid tubes
  • Fresh oysters in shell
  • Frozen scallops
  • Dried abalone
  • Live mussels
  • Frozen rock lobster tails
  • Fresh sea urchin roe (uni)
  • Frozen Alaskan pollock fillets
  • Fresh tuna loins
  • Dried jellyfish
  • Live Dungeness crabs
  • Frozen octopus
  • Fresh littleneck clams
  • Salted herring roe
  • Chilled swordfish steaks
  • Frozen surimi (unprepared)
  • Fresh wild halibut
  • Smoked trout.
Examples

A Vietnamese seafood exporter ships 20 tons of frozen headless, shell-on black tiger shrimp (HS 0306.17) to a major US distributor in Los Angeles via container ship across the Pacific, requiring strict adherence to FDA import regulations and often benefiting from reduced tariffs under specific trade agreements. Separately, a Norwegian fishing company air freights 500 kg of fresh Atlantic salmon fillets (HS 0304.81) daily to high-end restaurants and retailers in Tokyo, emphasizing speed and cold chain integrity to meet Japanese market demand and strict import checks by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. In the European Union, Spanish importers regularly bring in live blue mussels (HS 0307.31) from aquaculture farms in Portugal by refrigerated truck for local consumption, benefiting from the free movement of goods within the EU, though health certificates and traceability remain essential. A Canadian company exports several containers of dried salted codfish (HS 0305.62) to markets in the Caribbean, such as Jamaica, leveraging historical trade routes and complying with specific import standards for cured fish products.

Headings in chapter 03 9

03.01Fish; live03.02Fish; fresh or chilled, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 030403.03Fish; frozen, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 030403.04Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced); fresh, chilled or frozen03.05Fish, dried, salted or in brine; smoked fish, whether or not cooked before, or during the smoking process03.06Crustaceans; in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked, cooked or not before or during smoking; in shell, steamed or boiled, whether or not chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine03.07Molluscs; whether in shell or not, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked molluscs, whether in shell or not, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process03.08Aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process03.09Flours, meals and pellets of fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates, fit for human consumption

324 Brazil NCM codes in chapter 03 →

Codes often confused with 03

Common mistake. Traders frequently misclassify products between Chapter 03 and Chapter 16 (Preparations of fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates). Chapter 03 is for fish and seafood that are fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, in brine, or simply smoked. The moment these products undergo further processing like canning, marinating, breading, cooking (beyond simple smoking), or are mixed with other ingredients to form a 'preparation,' they transition to Chapter 16. For instance, fresh tuna loin (0304) vs. canned tuna (1604). Another common error is confusing fish meal fit for human consumption (0305) with fish meal for animal feed (2301) or other inedible animal products (Chapter 05), which have different tariff rates and regulatory requirements. Always consider the level of processing and intended use.

03.04Fish fillets and other fish meat (whether or not minced); fresh, chilled or frozen16.04Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs03.05Fish, dried, salted or in brine; smoked fish, whether or not cooked before, or during the smoking process23.01Flours, meal and pellets, of meat or meat offal, of fish or of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates, unfit for human consumption; greaves

Top exporters and importers of HS code 03, 2025

In 2025, the largest exporter of HS code 03 in UN Comtrade data was Norway, with 11% of world exports; the largest importer in UN Comtrade data was the United States, with 14% of world imports. Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

Top exporters 2025 · share of world exports

  1. 1 Norway $16.6B
  2. 2 China $10.8B
  3. 3 Ecuador $8.8B

World total: $149.7B Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

Top importers 2025 · share of world imports

  1. 1 United States $21.8B
  2. 2 China $19.9B
  3. 3 Japan $10.1B

World total: $150.7B Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

How these figures are built

109 countries reported 2025 trade to UN Comtrade in HS 2022, and their own totals are used. Countries that did not report are estimated from what other countries recorded trading with them. Those estimates miss trade with other non-reporting countries, so they can be low, and a non-reporting country can rank higher than shown or be missing from the list. World totals add both and leave out trade between two non-reporting countries. Figures are in current US dollars; reported imports are mostly valued CIF and exports FOB, and exports include re-exports. The UN Comtrade links show the underlying records; they can also list a few reporters left out here (regional groups and older HS editions).

Source: UN Comtrade (United Nations Statistics Division), 2025 annual data.

Questions about HS 03

What is HS code 03?

HS code 03 is a 2-digit chapter in the Harmonized System that covers: Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates. Chapter 03 of the Harmonized System (HS) is dedicated to "Fish and crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates," encompassing a vast array of aquatic animal products primarily intended for human consumption. This chapter covers these products in various states: live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, or in brine, and smoked. It also includes flours, meals, and pellets of fish or crustaceans, molluscs, or other aquatic invertebrates, fit for human consumption. The scope is broad, covering whole animals, fillets, roe, and other edible parts, but strictly excludes preparations and preserves (which fall under Chapter 16) or products rendered inedible or intended for non-food uses (e.g., animal feed in Chapter 23 or certain animal products in Chapter 05). Key sub-categories include live fish (0301), fresh or chilled fish (0302), frozen fish (0303), fish fillets and other fish meat (0304), dried, salted, or smoked fish (0305), crustaceans (0306), molluscs (0307), and other aquatic invertebrates like sea cucumbers or jellyfish (0308). Accurate classification under Chapter 03 is paramount for trade compliance, determining applicable import duties, quotas, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements, CITES regulations for endangered species, and origin rules. Seafood is a globally traded commodity, vital for food security and the economies of many coastal and island nations, with the trade volume significantly increasing due to advancements in refrigeration and logistics, making precise classification critical for seamless global supply chains.

What products fall under HS code 03?

Live ornamental koi carp, fresh Atlantic salmon fillets, frozen headless shell-on shrimp, chilled whole snapper, dried salted codfish, smoked mackerel fillets, live blue crabs, frozen squid tubes, fresh oysters in shell, frozen scallops, dried abalone, live mussels, frozen rock lobster tails, fresh sea urchin roe (uni), frozen Alaskan pollock fillets, fresh tuna loins, dried jellyfish, live Dungeness crabs, frozen octopus, fresh littleneck clams, salted herring roe, chilled swordfish steaks, frozen surimi (unprepared), fresh wild halibut, smoked trout.

What are common misclassifications for HS code 03?

Traders frequently misclassify products between Chapter 03 and Chapter 16 (Preparations of fish or crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates). Chapter 03 is for fish and seafood that are fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, in brine, or simply smoked. The moment these products undergo further processing like canning, marinating, breading, cooking (beyond simple smoking), or are mixed with other ingredients to form a 'preparation,' they transition to Chapter 16. For instance, fresh tuna loin (0304) vs. canned tuna (1604). Another common error is confusing fish meal fit for human consumption (0305) with fish meal for animal feed (2301) or other inedible animal products (Chapter 05), which have different tariff rates and regulatory requirements. Always consider the level of processing and intended use.

Which countries are the top exporters of goods under HS code 03?

In 2025, the top exporters of HS code 03 in UN Comtrade data were Norway ($16.6B, 11% of world exports), China ($10.8B) and Ecuador ($8.8B). World exports came to about $149.7B, adding countries' reported figures and partner-based estimates for those that did not report (UN Comtrade data). Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

Which countries are the top importers of goods under HS code 03?

In 2025, the top importers of HS code 03 in UN Comtrade data were the United States ($21.8B, 14% of world imports), China ($19.9B) and Japan ($10.1B). World imports came to about $150.7B, adding countries' reported figures and partner-based estimates for those that did not report (UN Comtrade data). Countries that did not report 2025 data are estimated from partner records, which can understate them.

How is HS code 03 structured?

HS code 03 is a 2-digit chapter code in the Harmonized System maintained by the World Customs Organization. It represents a broad category of goods and contains multiple 4-digit headings and 6-digit subheadings for more specific classifications.