Section IV: Prepared Foodstuffs; Beverages, Spirits, Vinegar; Tobacco
Chapter 16: Preparations of meat, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates
Chapter 16 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule covers Preparations of meat, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates and sits within Section IV: Prepared Foodstuffs; Beverages, Spirits, Vinegar; Tobacco.
About Chapter 16
Chapter 16 contains 179 10-digit statistical lines grouped under 3 4-digit headings. Brokers, importers, and customs counsel use these codes to declare preparations of meat, fish, crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates on entry summaries (CBP Form 7501) and to look up the applicable Column 1, Special, and Column 2 duty rates.
General (Column 1) duty rates for ad-valorem lines in Chapter 16 range from 1.4% to 35%, with a median of 6%. About 42% of the chapter's lines (76 of 179) enter duty-free under the general rate. Special-program rates (USMCA, KORUS, GSP, AGOA, and others) and Chapter 99 overlays modify these base rates for qualifying shipments.
Every code page links into the Tandom Tariff Calculator with the HTS code prefilled, so you can compute the full landed duty for a specific shipment by entering value, country of origin, and (where relevant) material content or date of entry. Tandom's data refreshes daily from USITC HTSUS, CBP CSMS, the Federal Register, and the Department of Commerce — the same authoritative sources the trade community files against.