tariffs.help
Log in Create free account

Customs code · HS subheading 1604 20

Final code reached

Prepared or preserved sardines

Bonito, specified mackerel or Orcynopsis fish, not whole or in pieces

This is a complete 8-digit customs code. Exports and Intrastat use it as it is. For an import into the EU, pick a 10-digit line below.

This covers prepared or preserved sardines, bonito, mackerel of the species “Scomber scombrus” or “Scomber japonicus”, and fish of the species “Orcynopsis unicolor”. The fish must not be whole or in pieces.

For example

  • Prepared sardine spread
  • Preserved bonito paste
  • Prepared mackerel of the species “Scomber scombrus”, not whole or in pieces
  • Preserved fish of the species “Orcynopsis unicolor”, not whole or in pieces
See the official tariff text

Official tariff text

Prepared or preserved sardines, bonito, mackerel of species Scomber scombrus and japonicus and fish of species Orcynopsis unicolor (excl. whole or in pieces)

You are seeing what applies when you export from the EU. Switch above if you import.

You are seeing what applies when you import into the EU. Switch above if you export.

Your answer for export

The full EU export code is 1604 20 50.

You do not pick a 10-digit EU import line for an export declaration or Intrastat. The destination classifies the goods under its own tariff.

8 digits, ready

Selling to Norway, Great Britain and the United States

What they charge on arrival.

Norway, Great Britain and the United States use their own tariff lines under the 6-digit HS code. The rates below are what their customs charge on goods arriving from the EU. Match the goods against each country's own wording before you rely on a rate.

Norway

Duty free

  • Their lines8 Norwegian lines

16.04.2001 Fish balls, fish cakes and fish puddings

Norwegian tariff data checked Sept. 13, 2026.

Great Britain

25.0%

  • Their lines7 British lines
  • EU originDuty free

1604 20 50 05 Curry fish balls made of fish meat, curry, wheat starch, salt, sugar, and compound

Northern Ireland follows other rules.

UK tariff data checked Sept. 13, 2026.

United States

10.0%

Estimated from published US measures

  • Their lines12 US lines
  • Entry dateSept. 17, 2026

1604.20.05.10 Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs

The US importer of record files the entry.

US tariff data checked Sept. 16, 2026.

See the 8 Norwegian lines

Selling to Norway

Norway splits the 6-digit category its own way, so these are Norway's own lines under it, not this EU code. Check your product against their wording; what Norwegian customs charges is shown per line.

  • 16.04.2001

    Fish balls, fish cakes and fish puddings

    Ordinary duty
    Duty free

  • 16.04.2002

    Preparations of surimi

    Ordinary duty
    Duty free

  • 16.04.2004

    Other products

    Ordinary duty
    Duty free

  • 16.04.2005

    Fish balls, fish cakes and fish puddings

    Ordinary duty
    Duty free

  • 16.04.2006

    Sweet and salt cured roes

    Ordinary duty
    Duty free

  • 16.04.2007

    Other roes (excluding caviar and caviar substitutes)

    Ordinary duty
    Duty free

  • 16.04.2008

    Livers of cod, in airtight containers

    Ordinary duty
    Duty free

  • 16.04.2009

    Other products

    Ordinary duty
    Duty free

Norwegian tariff data version 1.5/1.2, last checked Sept. 13, 2026.

Contains data from Norwegian Customs (data.toll.no), licensed under CC BY 4.0, adapted for display.

See the 7 British lines

Selling to Great Britain

What UK customs charges when goods like these arrive in Great Britain.

  • All 7 UK lines under this code

    They all have the same duty rates shown here.

    Ordinary duty
    25.0%
    Goods of EU origin
    Duty free You need documentation of EU preferential origin to use this rate.

These rates apply in Great Britain. Different rules may apply for goods entering Northern Ireland.

UK tariff data version v4.0.1599, last checked Sept. 13, 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Source: UK Department for Business and Trade (data.api.trade.gov.uk).

See the 12 US lines

Selling to the United States

What US customs charges when goods like these arrive from the EU. The US importer of record files the entry and pays the duty.

  • 1604.20.05.10

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Products containing meat of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates; prepared meals, Prepared meals

    General rate
    5%
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.05.90

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Products containing meat of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic invertebrates; prepared meals, Other

    General rate
    5%
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.10.00

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Pastes

    General rate
    Free
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.15.00

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Balls, cakes and puddings, In oil

    General rate
    Free
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.20.00

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Balls, cakes and puddings, Not in oil, In immediate containers weighing with their contents not over 6.8 kg each, In airtight containers

    General rate
    Free
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.25.00

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Balls, cakes and puddings, Not in oil, In immediate containers weighing with their contents not over 6.8 kg each, Other

    General rate
    Free
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.30.00

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Balls, cakes and puddings, Not in oil, Other

    General rate
    Free
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.40.00

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Fish sticks and similar products of any size or shape, if breaded, coated with batter or similarly prepared, Neither cooked nor in oil

    General rate
    10%
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99
Show all 12 lines

  • 1604.20.50.10

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Fish sticks and similar products of any size or shape, if breaded, coated with batter or similarly prepared, Other, Pre-cooked and frozen

    General rate
    7.5%
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.50.90

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Fish sticks and similar products of any size or shape, if breaded, coated with batter or similarly prepared, Other

    General rate
    7.5%
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.60.10

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other, Pre-cooked and frozen

    General rate
    Free
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

  • 1604.20.60.90

    Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs, Other prepared or preserved fish, Other

    General rate
    Free
    From the EU
    10.0% Estimated from published US measures US headings applied: 9903.05.39 Section 301 forced-labour action, 91 FR 47318 (memorandum 91 FR 47717), U.S. note 52 to subchapter III of chapter 99

Worked out for an entry on Sept. 17, 2026.

US tariff schedule 2026HTSRev19, last checked Sept. 16, 2026.

Last change we recorded: Revision 19 (2026), Sept. 16, 2026.

Anti-dumping and countervailing duties, US import taxes and customs fees are not included.

The descriptions above are the US tariff texts, which the United States publishes in English only.

Source: the US International Trade Commission's Harmonized Tariff Schedule (hts.usitc.gov), public domain, and the measures published in the Federal Register.

This is a planning estimate from the US Harmonized Tariff Schedule (revision shown) and the published Federal Register measures as of the date shown, for a shipment of EU origin. It is not a customs entry, legal advice or a broker's opinion, and tariffs.help is not a US-licensed customs broker. The US importer of record or their broker confirms the classification, origin, value and the duty due before filing.

Before you use the code

Check the facts that sit outside the code

The code can be right while what you pay still changes, because of where the goods come from, when they arrive, or extra EU measures.

Classify your own product, free Look up the current rates and rules
  1. The product and its form Check that your product really matches this description, including what it is made of and the form it arrives in.
  2. Country of origin Trade agreements, sanctions and extra measures can change the treatment of the very same code.
  3. Current tariff measures Check today's rate, any restrictions or licences, and the quantity customs asks for, with Toldstyrelsen or TARIC.

On an EU import declaration

Pick the 10-digit line that matches the goods.

7 import lines

When these goods are imported into the EU, the declaration needs a 10-digit code. Under 1604 20 50 the EU tariff has 7 lines, each with its own wording.

You or your customs agent pick the line whose wording fits the goods; the last line, "Other", covers what none of the specific wordings describe.

The standard duty rate is the same on every line.

  1. Match the whole wording A line is its own wording plus the grouping text above it. Read both before you settle on one.

Exports from the EU and Intrastat normally use the 8-digit code as it is.

EU tariff data of Sept. 13, 2026.

Rates, origin and documents

Read the signals first. Open only the ones you want to check.

Besides the ordinary duty, the EU records these kinds of measure against this code. They are listed as signals only: whether one applies to your goods can depend on where they come from, who produced them, the exact product and the documents you present. No amounts are worked out here.

Data of Sept. 1, 2026

Lower duty for goods from some countries

Possible

Preferential rates exist for goods originating in:

  • United Kingdom
  • San Marino
  • Comoros (excluding Mayotte), Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and dependencies and Zimbabwe
  • Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique and Namibia
  • Western Sahara
  • Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama
  • Andorra
  • Ivory Coast
  • +38 origins

These rates apply to Economic Partnership Agreements; CARIFORUM except Haiti; GSP-EBA (Special arrangement for the least-developed countries - Everything But Arms); GSP+ (incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance); OCTs (Overseas Countries and Territories); GSP - General arrangements.

Whether you can use one depends on the origin rules for the goods and on the documentation you can show.

Check this code in the official EU TARIC database

A limited quantity at a lower rate

Check

A tariff quota is recorded for this code. This does not say whether any of the quota is still available. It covers goods originating in:

  • Serbia
  • any country except United Kingdom
  • Thailand
  • Singapore
  • Albania
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Montenegro
  • Tunisia
Check this code in the official EU TARIC database

Restrictions and paperwork

Important

Import restrictions are recorded for goods originating in:

  • Japan
  • any country except Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland
  • Ukraine
  • North Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)
  • any country except Andorra, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino and Switzerland
  • European Union
  • any country
  • any country except Cambodia, Cameroon, Comoros (excluding Mayotte), St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago
  • +1 origin

The EU records document conditions on this code. What customs may ask for depends on where the goods come from, exactly what the product is and the customs procedure.

Proof of origin 2 conditions

If you claim a lower rate for goods from a country the EU has a trade agreement with, customs asks for proof of origin, for example a EUR.1 certificate or an origin declaration.

Show the EU's own wording for these conditions
  • Movement certificate EUR.1
  • Invoice declaration or origin declaration made out by any exporter on invoice or any other commercial document

Sanctions and restricted regions 2 conditions

Some conditions come from EU sanctions rules. They matter when the goods are linked to a country or region the EU restricts trade with.

Show the EU's own wording for these conditions
  • Goods not originating from or destined to Crimea or Sevastopol (Articles 2 and 2b.1 of Council Regulation (EU) No 692/2014)
  • Goods not originating from or not destined for the non-government controlled areas of Ukraine in the oblasts of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia

Product controls and permits 20 conditions

Depending on the exact product, customs may ask for a licence, a permit or a control certificate before the goods are released.

Show the EU's own wording for these conditions
  • Certificate of inspection for organic products
  • Goods benefitting from derogation to veterinary controls according to Article 3 of Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/630
  • Goods with third country origin coming from Andorra, according to the relevant EU legislation.
  • Goods with third country origin coming from Switzerland, according to the relevant EU legislation.
  • Goods with third country origin coming from Iceland, according to the relevant EU legislation.
  • Goods with third country origin coming from Liechtenstein, according to the relevant EU legislation.
  • Goods with third country origin coming from Norway, according to the relevant EU legislation.
  • Goods with third country origin coming from San Marino, according to the relevant EU legislation.
  • Goods with third country origin coming from Faroe Islands, according to the relevant EU legislation.
  • Goods with third country origin coming from Greenland, according to the relevant EU legislation.
  • Common Health Entry Document for Products (CHED-P) (as set out in Part 2, Section B of Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 (OJ L 261))
  • Goods with EU origin coming from outermost regions, according to the relevant EU legislation
  • Goods with EU origin returning from Andorra, according to the relevant EU legislation
  • Goods with EU origin returning from Norway, according to the relevant EU legislation
  • Goods with EU origin returning from San Marino, according to the relevant EU legislation
  • Goods with EU origin returning from Iceland, according to the relevant EU legislation
  • Goods with EU origin returning from Lichtenstein, according to the relevant EU legislation
  • Goods with EU origin returning from Switzerland, according to the relevant EU legislation
  • Common Health Entry Document for Feed and Food of Non-Animal Origin (CHED-D) (as set out in Part 2, Section D of Annex II to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1715 (OJ L 261))
  • Importer Declaration or Re-export Certificate, as foreseen in Annex II of Regulation (EC) 1005/2008 or Annex IV of Regulation (EC) 1010/2009

Statements that the goods are outside a rule's scope 5 conditions

Some conditions are statements that a rule does not cover the goods, for example that the product is not on a controlled list.

Show the EU's own wording for these conditions
  • Goods not concerned by Regulation (EU) 2018/848 (organic products)
  • Exemption by virtue of Articles 3 and 4 of regulation 2019/2122 (animals intended for scientific purposes, research and diagnostic samples, and samples for product analysis and quality testing).
  • Exemption by virtue of Article 7 of Commission Delegated Regulation 2019/2122 (Goods which form part of passengers' personal luggage and are intended for personal consumption or use) or Article 10 (small consignments of goods sent to natural persons which are not intended to be placed on the market) of Commission Delegated Regulation 2019/2122
  • The declared goods are not concerned by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/175
  • The declared goods are not concerned by Council Regulation (EC) No. 1005/2008

Other conditions 8 conditions

These conditions match none of the groups above. Whether customs asks for one depends on the goods, where they come from and the customs procedure.

Show the EU's own wording for these conditions
  • The products left Japan before 30.10.2012 and comply with Implementing Regulation (EU) No 284/2012
  • Products which left Japan before 28 March 2011
  • The products left Japan before 2.6.2013 and comply with Implementing Regulation (EU) No 996/2012
  • The products are accompanied by a declaration issued before 1 November 2012 in accordance with the Implementing Regulation (EU) No 284/2012 and stating that the products have left Japan before 1 December 2012
  • The products are accompanied by a declaration issued before 1.6.2013 in accordance with the Implementing Regulation (EU) No 996/2012 and stating that the products have left Japan before 1.7.2013
  • Declaration for the import into the European Union of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 322/2014)
  • Declaration for the import into the European Union of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 996/2012) which was issued before 1 April 2014; the products left Japan from 1 April 2014 but before 1 May 2014
  • Declaration for the import into the European Union of feed and food originating in or consigned from Japan (Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 322/2014); the products left Japan before 9 January 2016
Check this code in the official EU TARIC database

EU tariff measure data of Sept. 1, 2026.

One last classification check

Check the path and the nearest alternatives.

Use this view if you are still unsure the code describes the product precisely.

How we got to this code

  1. IV
  2. 16
  3. 1604
  4. 1604 20
  5. 1604 20 50
Show the steps

Compare with the codes next to it.

Compare the sibling codes at this level before you settle on this one.

Classification decides the rate here: from 5.5% to 25.0%.

Worth comparing

Codes that sit close to this one, for when the material itself could be different.

Browse chapter 16

Often confused with

Duty rates shown here are estimates, read from official EU / Danish, Norwegian and UK tariff data for orientation only. Confirm the current rate with Toldstyrelsen, TARIC, Norwegian Customs or the UK Online Trade Tariff before you file. The rate you pay can also depend on the country of origin. These are base customs duties only: import VAT, excise duties, anti-dumping duties and safeguard or quota measures are not included.