HS Code 11.03 – Cereal groats; meal and pellets

HS code 1103 is a 4-digit heading in the Harmonized System that covers: Cereal groats; meal and pellets. Heading 1103 covers 'Cereal groats; meal and pellets,' representing an intermediate stage of cereal processing. Unlike fine flours (1101, 1102) or whole grains (Chapter 10), these products have undergone crushing, grinding, or pelletizing, but not to the extent of becoming flour. Groats are grains from which the hulls have been removed and the kernel cracked or cut; meal is coarser than flour but finer than groats; and pellets are agglomerated forms of meal or groats. The scope includes products from all cereals, such as corn groats, oat meal, and barley pellets. This classification is critical for trade compliance due to its diverse applications, ranging from animal feed ingredients and brewing adjuncts to breakfast cereal components and industrial raw materials. The specific processing method and intended use can influence market value and regulatory requirements. Accurate classification prevents misapplication of tariffs, which often differentiate between raw grains, semi-processed products, and finished goods. Historically, the trade in cereal groats, meal, and pellets has been a cornerstone of the global animal feed industry and increasingly, a source for diverse human food applications. This heading is centrally located in Chapter 11, 'Products of the milling industry,' highlighting its role in the transformation of raw agricultural commodities into more refined products for various industries.

Corn groats, oat groats, barley groats, rye groats, buckwheat groats, millet groats, sorghum groats, rice groats, coarse corn meal, coarse oat meal, barley meal, rye meal, sorghum meal, millet meal, corn pellets for feed, oat pellets for feed, barley pellets for brewing, rye pellets, rice pellets for feed, cracked corn, steel-cut oats, pearled barley (if in groat form), instant corn grits, polenta meal

A common mistake is confusing cereal groats, meal, and pellets with whole, unprocessed cereal grains (Chapter 10), especially for products like cracked corn or steel-cut oats, which are clearly processed. Another error is classifying very fine flours (HS 1101/1102) under 1103, or conversely, classifying products that are clearly coarser than meal as flour. Furthermore, prepared animal feed (HS 2309) is sometimes mistakenly classified here; 1103 covers basic processed cereal forms, not compound feeds. The distinction lies in the degree of milling and whether other ingredients have been added to create a 'preparation.'

In 2025, the top exporters of HS code 1103 in UN Comtrade data were South Africa ($165M, 12% of world exports), Canada ($153M) and Italy ($153M). World exports came to about $1.4B, 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.

In 2025, the top importers of HS code 1103 in UN Comtrade data were the United States ($180M, 13% of world imports), the DR Congo (about $106M) and France ($67M). World imports came to about $1.4B, 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.

HS code 1103 is a 4-digit heading under Chapter 11 of the Harmonized System. The first 2 digits (11) identify the chapter, and digits 3-4 (03) specify the heading. This code contains multiple 6-digit subheadings for precise product classification.