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HTS code for honey: facts to check before import

Planning Use only. Broker review required for Entry Use.

Honey classification starts with a plain question: is the product just honey, or is it a food preparation that contains honey? The answer changes when the shipment is raw, filtered, creamed, flavored, blended, packed with comb, sold in squeeze bottles, or included in a gift set.

quick answer

For hts code for honey, collect product form, ingredients, processing, packaging, origin, supplier code, and food import documents before choosing HTS Candidates.

facts to collect before drafting

• Product type: raw honey, filtered honey, creamed honey, honeycomb, flavored honey, honey sticks, bulk honey, retail jar, or gift pack.
• Ingredient statement and percentage of honey, sugar, syrup, flavoring, fruit, spices, nuts, or other additives.
• Processing facts: extraction, filtering, heating, blending, creaming, packaging, labeling, or repacking.
• Packaging size and format: drum, pail, jar, squeeze bottle, sachet, stick pack, comb section, sampler, or set.
• Use context: retail food, ingredient, food service, private label, promotional pack, or supplement-adjacent product.
• Product label, nutrition panel, certificate of origin, invoice, lot documents, supplier code, and product photos.
• Origin steps for beekeeping, extraction, filtering, blending, filling, labeling, and packing.

missing facts

Ask for the ingredient statement and processing description first. "Honey" in a Shopify title does not prove that the article is pure honey. A spread, candy, beverage base, or supplement-style product may need a different candidate path.

Origin needs proof too. If honey is harvested in one country, blended in another, and packed somewhere else, write the chain down. Country-of-origin claims on labels should be kept with the manufacturing facts, not used as a shortcut.

HTS candidate notes

Start with USITC HTS provisions for natural honey, then test whether additives, blending, or packaging move the product toward another food preparation. CBP CROSS can help when rulings discuss honey mixtures, retail packs, and food preparations.

Do not bury admissibility questions. Food import review and tariff classification are separate, but both can affect shipment readiness.

authority sources

• USITC HTS
• CBP CROSS
• 19 CFR 177.2
• CBP ruling program
• FDA food import basics

Use official sources before supplier catalog fields. If a broker asks whether the product is pure honey or a preparation, the record should already answer that.

planning path

Create a honey table with form, ingredients, processing, packaging, origin, supplier code, and missing facts. Attach label photos, ingredient statements, certificates, and product specifications.

For flavored honey, list the flavoring and any added sugar or syrup. For honeycomb, attach photos showing the imported condition. For gift packs, list every included item and packaging component. For bulk honey, record whether it will be repacked or used as an ingredient after import.

related planning questions

• hts code for honey
• honey HTS code
• honey import duty
• customs classification honey
• CBP ruling honey

questions importers ask

Does flavored honey need a separate review?

Yes. Added ingredients can move the product away from a simple honey analysis.

Is honeycomb different from bottled honey?

It can be. Keep photos and the product form in the record.

Should FDA documents be saved?

Yes. Keep food import documents with the Classification Record, even though they do not replace tariff review.

internal links

• /hts-code-lookup
• /classification-record
• /duty-surprise-scan
• /reasonable-care-file

planning boundary

This honey page is a planning artifact. It is not an Entry Use decision, not a binding ruling, and not a legal opinion. The importer remains responsible for reasonable care and must obtain broker or customs authority review before filing.