Coffee HS Codes: Green, Roasted and Instant Coffee

An HS code - or Harmonized System code - is a multi-digit number assigned to every product traded internationally. Developed by the World Customs Organization and used by more than 200 countries, the HS code is the language of cross-border trade. Customs officials, freight forwarders, and logistics professionals rely on it to identify what’s being shipped, apply the right tariffs, and ensure regulatory compliance.

For coffee businesses, inputting the correct HS code is as important as proper packaging or labeling. Mistakes can result in customs delays, fines, or even confiscated goods.

The six-digit HS classification distinguishes these coffee forms:

• 0901.11: unroasted coffee, not decaffeinated.
• 0901.12: unroasted, decaffeinated coffee.
• 0901.21: roasted coffee, not decaffeinated, including whole beans and ground coffee.
• 0901.22: roasted, decaffeinated coffee.
• 2101.11: coffee extracts, essences and concentrates, including pure soluble coffee.
• 2101.12: preparations based on coffee extracts, essences or concentrates, or on coffee. Review the full formulation of an instant mix.
• 0901.90: other goods under heading 0901, including coffee husks and skins and coffee substitutes containing coffee.
• 2101.30: roasted chicory and other roasted coffee substitutes, and their extracts and preparations. Chapter 21 excludes roasted substitutes containing coffee to heading 0901.

Check the official WCO schedules for Chapter 9 and Chapter 21. For the product difference, see instant coffee versus ground coffee.

1. Customs Clearance

Your shipment’s journey through customs heavily depends on proper coding. Incorrect classification can lead to costly holdups or even refusal at the port. According to the World Customs Organization, about 98% of international merchandise trade uses the HS system.

2. Tariff Calculation and Duties

HS codes dictate what import duties, taxes, and tariffs are charged. For coffee, rules and tax rates can vary widely based on the product’s form (green, roasted, instant, etc.) and the importing country’s trade agreements or restrictions.

3. Statistical and Regulatory Tracking

Accurate coding helps governments track commodity flows, sets the foundation for supply chain compliance, and helps identify applicable phytosanitary and safety checks.

The international HS subheading has six digits. The destination adds national tariff and statistical subdivisions. Start with the six-digit product group above, then select the complete code in the importing country’s current schedule.

• Describe the actual product: green or roasted, whole bean or ground, decaffeinated or not, extract or prepared mix.
• Open the destination schedule: for the United States, use the USITC tariff lookup. Read the relevant heading, subheading and notes rather than selecting a similar product name.
• Check the complete formulation: provide the ingredients for a soluble coffee mix, including added sugar or creamer. Keep pure extract and mixed preparations distinct.
• Confirm the national subdivision and measures: ask the importing team to record the code, description, tariff source and date checked for this SKU.

Keep origin and preference evidence with the classification record. A code identifies the goods; the origin claim and other shipment details are separate inputs to the import review.

• Vietnamese green coffee: start with 0901.11 when it is not decaffeinated, then choose the destination's national subdivision for the actual product.
• Decaffeinated roasted coffee: start with 0901.22 and check the destination schedule.
• Instant coffee with sugar or creamer: review 2101.12 against the complete ingredient formulation; do not copy the code for plain roasted beans.

Match the product description across the quotation, invoice and packing list. Ingredients and processing details help resolve differences between products sold under similar names.

Before asking a broker to classify coffee, send one compact product file:

• SKU and product name, with the current label or specification.
• Processing state and decaffeination status; state whether the item is beans, ground coffee, pure soluble coffee or a mixture.
• Full ingredients for preparations, plus any composition information the classifier requests.
• Retail pack format and net weight, invoice description and destination country.
• The proposed code and the source used, if a supplier has already suggested one.

For an instant product, use the instant coffee specification checklist to organise the formulation and pack information. Once the code is confirmed, carry the same SKU description into the import declaration file. Recheck the classification when the formulation or processing changes.

Start with the processing state and composition, then confirm the destination tariff subdivision for the exact product. Keep the description consistent across the quotation, invoice and packing list.

Choosing a Vietnamese retail range? The supplier checklist covers product, pack and sample questions. For MR.VIET coffee, send the selected products, destination and expected quantities to request the current product information and quotation. Use the offered formulation and packaging details when your importing team checks classification.