HS code · 2-digit chapter

HS Code 05 – Animal originated products; not elsewhere specified or included

What HS 05 covers

Chapter 05 of the Harmonized System (HS) is a crucial classification for 'Animal originated products; not elsewhere specified or included,' serving as a 'basket' chapter for raw or minimally processed animal materials that don't fit into more specific categories like live animals (Chapter 01), meat (Chapter 02), fish (Chapter 03), or dairy/eggs (Chapter 04). This chapter encompasses a diverse range of animal by-products primarily intended for industrial uses, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, or crafts, rather than direct human consumption as food. The scope of Chapter 05 is broad, covering everything from raw bones, horns, hooves, and claws (0506) to guts, bladders, and stomachs of animals (0504). It includes animal hair, bristles, and horsehair (0502, 0503), as well as feathers and down (0505). More exotic items like raw silk-worm cocoons, ambergris, castoreum, civet, musk, cantharides, bile, and glands (0510) also find their place here. Importantly, it covers animal semen and embryos (0511) for breeding, and other animal products not elsewhere specified or included, such as fish waste or scales (0511). The boundary often lies in the level of processing and intended use; highly processed or edible animal products are generally excluded. This classification is vital for trade compliance due to stringent health, sanitary, and environmental regulations. Many products within this chapter, especially those derived from wild animals (e.g., ivory, tortoise-shell under 0507, certain corals under 0508), are subject to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) restrictions, requiring specific permits or facing outright bans. Improper classification can lead to significant delays, fines, confiscation, or even the destruction of goods. Historically, these materials were fundamental to early industries and crafts, and today they support niche but essential sectors globally, from gelatin production to pharmaceutical research and specialized fertilizers.

Covers
  • Raw animal bones
  • Bone meal
  • Horn-cores
  • Hooves
  • Claws
  • Beaks
  • Raw pig bristles
  • Badger hair
  • Horsehair
  • Raw cattle guts for casings
  • Sheep bladders
  • Poultry feathers
  • Duck down
  • Raw silk-worm cocoons
  • Ambergris
  • Cantharides (dried insects)
  • Animal glands for pharmaceutical use
  • Animal semen for artificial insemination
  • Animal embryos
  • Fish scales
  • Fish waste (inedible)
  • Natural sponges (unworked)
  • Raw coral (unworked)
  • Mollusc shells (unworked)
  • Unworked ivory (subject to CITES)
  • Tortoise-shell (subject to CITES)
  • Whalebone (subject to CITES)
  • Animal blood (liquid or dried, for non-food use)
  • Animal sinews
  • Tendons for industrial use
  • Animal hair for brushes.
Examples

A Brazilian company specializing in agricultural by-products exports several containers of raw cattle bones to a Chinese manufacturer. These bones, classified under 0506, are shipped from the Port of Santos to Shanghai, where they are processed into gelatin and bone meal for fertilizer. Strict veterinary health certificates are mandatory for entry into China. Another scenario involves an Indian supplier exporting bales of raw poultry feathers and duck down (0505) to a bedding and garment manufacturer in Germany. These goods travel via ocean freight from Chennai to Hamburg, requiring sanitation clearances to ensure they are free from pests or disease. In a more specialized trade, a US biotechnology firm exports bovine semen straws (0511) in cryogenic containers via air cargo from Dallas to a cattle breeding operation in Australia. This high-value shipment demands meticulous health records and pedigree documentation for each animal donor. Furthermore, a fishing cooperative in Peru might export dried fish scales (0511) to a South Korean cosmetics company for use in pearlescent pigments, shipping them in bulk bags from Callao to Busan. Lastly, a company in South Africa exports raw ostrich eggshells (0511) to artisans in Japan for decorative purposes, requiring careful packaging and phytosanitary certificates for the natural product.

Headings in chapter 05 9

05.01Human hair; unworked, whether or not washed or scoured; waste of human hair05.02Pigs', hogs' or boars' bristles and hair; and waste thereof05.04Guts, bladders and stomachs of animals (other than fish); whole and pieces thereof, fresh, chilled, frozen, salted, in brine, dried or smoked05.05Skins and other parts of birds with feathers, down; feathers, down and parts thereof; not further worked than cleaned, disinfected, treated for preservation; powder, waste and parts of feathers05.06Bones and horn-cores, unworked, defatted, simply prepared (but not cut to shape), treated with acid or degelatinised; powder and waste of these products05.07Ivory, tortoise-shell, whalebone and whalebone hair, horns, antlers, hooves, nails, claws and beaks unworked or simply prepared, not cut to shape; waste and powder of these products05.08Coral and similar materials, unworked or simply prepared, shells of molluscs, crustaceans or echinoderms and cuttle-bone, not cut to shape powder and waste thereof05.10Ambergris, castoreum, civet and musk; cantharides; bile, dried or not glands, other animal products used in preparation of pharmaceutical products, fresh chilled, frozen or otherwise provisionally preserved05.11Animal products not elsewhere specified or included; dead animals of chapter 1 or 3, unfit for human consumption

28 Brazil NCM codes in chapter 05 →

Codes often confused with 05

Common mistake. Traders frequently misclassify products under Chapter 05, often confusing them with goods in related chapters. A common mistake is classifying edible animal products here. If guts, blood, or specific offal are intended for human consumption, they typically belong to Chapter 02 (Meat and Edible Offal) or Chapter 04 (Edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included), not Chapter 05, which is predominantly for inedible or industrially used animal products. Another area of confusion arises with raw hides and skins; while some raw skins might seem to fit, those destined for tanning and leather production often transition to Chapter 41 (Raw Hides and Skins (other than furskins) and Leather) once they undergo initial preservation processes that turn them into 'leather' rather than just 'raw skins.' The distinction lies in the level of processing and the intended end-use, which are crucial for accurate classification.

Top exporters and importers of HS code 05, 2025

In 2025, the largest exporter of HS code 05 in UN Comtrade data was China, with 17% of world exports; the largest importer in UN Comtrade data was Germany, with 11% 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 China $2.0B
  2. 2 United States $1.2B
  3. 3 Germany $983M

World total: $11.9B Reported figures on UN Comtrade ↗

Top importers 2025 · share of world imports

  1. 1 Germany $1.3B
  2. 2 United States $1.2B
  3. 3 China $1.2B

World total: $12.0B 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 05

What is HS code 05?

HS code 05 is a 2-digit chapter in the Harmonized System that covers: Animal originated products; not elsewhere specified or included. Chapter 05 of the Harmonized System (HS) is a crucial classification for 'Animal originated products; not elsewhere specified or included,' serving as a 'basket' chapter for raw or minimally processed animal materials that don't fit into more specific categories like live animals (Chapter 01), meat (Chapter 02), fish (Chapter 03), or dairy/eggs (Chapter 04). This chapter encompasses a diverse range of animal by-products primarily intended for industrial uses, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, or crafts, rather than direct human consumption as food. The scope of Chapter 05 is broad, covering everything from raw bones, horns, hooves, and claws (0506) to guts, bladders, and stomachs of animals (0504). It includes animal hair, bristles, and horsehair (0502, 0503), as well as feathers and down (0505). More exotic items like raw silk-worm cocoons, ambergris, castoreum, civet, musk, cantharides, bile, and glands (0510) also find their place here. Importantly, it covers animal semen and embryos (0511) for breeding, and other animal products not elsewhere specified or included, such as fish waste or scales (0511). The boundary often lies in the level of processing and intended use; highly processed or edible animal products are generally excluded. This classification is vital for trade compliance due to stringent health, sanitary, and environmental regulations. Many products within this chapter, especially those derived from wild animals (e.g., ivory, tortoise-shell under 0507, certain corals under 0508), are subject to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) restrictions, requiring specific permits or facing outright bans. Improper classification can lead to significant delays, fines, confiscation, or even the destruction of goods. Historically, these materials were fundamental to early industries and crafts, and today they support niche but essential sectors globally, from gelatin production to pharmaceutical research and specialized fertilizers.

What products fall under HS code 05?

Raw animal bones, bone meal, horn-cores, hooves, claws, beaks, raw pig bristles, badger hair, horsehair, raw cattle guts for casings, sheep bladders, poultry feathers, duck down, raw silk-worm cocoons, ambergris, cantharides (dried insects), animal glands for pharmaceutical use, animal semen for artificial insemination, animal embryos, fish scales, fish waste (inedible), natural sponges (unworked), raw coral (unworked), mollusc shells (unworked), unworked ivory (subject to CITES), tortoise-shell (subject to CITES), whalebone (subject to CITES), animal blood (liquid or dried, for non-food use), animal sinews, tendons for industrial use, animal hair for brushes.

What are common misclassifications for HS code 05?

Traders frequently misclassify products under Chapter 05, often confusing them with goods in related chapters. A common mistake is classifying edible animal products here. If guts, blood, or specific offal are intended for human consumption, they typically belong to Chapter 02 (Meat and Edible Offal) or Chapter 04 (Edible products of animal origin, not elsewhere specified or included), not Chapter 05, which is predominantly for inedible or industrially used animal products. Another area of confusion arises with raw hides and skins; while some raw skins might seem to fit, those destined for tanning and leather production often transition to Chapter 41 (Raw Hides and Skins (other than furskins) and Leather) once they undergo initial preservation processes that turn them into 'leather' rather than just 'raw skins.' The distinction lies in the level of processing and the intended end-use, which are crucial for accurate classification.

Which countries are the top exporters of goods under HS code 05?

In 2025, the top exporters of HS code 05 in UN Comtrade data were China ($2.0B, 17% of world exports), the United States ($1.2B) and Germany ($983M). World exports came to about $11.9B, 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 05?

In 2025, the top importers of HS code 05 in UN Comtrade data were Germany ($1.3B, 11% of world imports), the United States ($1.2B) and China ($1.2B). World imports came to about $12.0B, 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 05 structured?

HS code 05 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.