Aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs — HTS 0308
Aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process
Chapter 03 › Heading 0308
2026 HTS Rev 19 Synced Rules verified Operational
Written to help non-specialists understand this page. Rates, dates, and legal facts come from the official records above and on the linked source.
HTS heading 0308 is a four-digit category for aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs. It can cover these animals when they are live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, or in brine, as well as smoked products, whether or not they were cooked before or during smoking. The heading is about the product’s kind and condition, not simply the fact that it came from water.
To reach the correct eight-digit HTSUS code, first confirm that the item belongs in heading 0308 rather than a heading for fish, crustaceans, molluscs, prepared foods, or another product category. Then use the heading’s subheadings and statistical provisions, which commonly distinguish the specific type of aquatic invertebrate and sometimes its form or processing. Read every level of the tariff description, including legal notes and any relevant statistical suffix, and verify that the code matches the goods as imported.
What to check
- Identify the exact organism and confirm that it is an aquatic invertebrate, not a crustacean or mollusc; obtain the scientific name when the commercial name is unclear.
- Record the condition at import—live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted, in brine, or smoked—and check whether processing changes classification outside heading 0308.
- Review the HTSUS hierarchy from heading 0308 through the applicable six- and eight-digit provisions; do not select a code based only on a search-term match.
- Compare the product description, packaging, ingredients, and processing records with the tariff wording and relevant section or chapter notes.
- If the species or processing is ambiguous, ask a customs broker or seek a binding classification ruling before relying on the code.
HTS heading 0308 summary
Aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs is a 4-digit product category containing 8 published product-code lines in this snapshot. A heading does not carry one universal duty rate; classification must be narrowed to the line matching the product facts.
How to find your code in this category
A heading is a product category. To get the exact duty, narrow from this 4-digit heading to a sub-category (usually by material), then open the 8-digit code that matches your product.
Open any code in the tables below to see its exact duty rate, a duty calculator (enter your shipment value → estimated duty and landed cost), the rate-change history chart, and the country-by-country breakdown (including Section 301/232 add-on duties).
Why you have to click in: a single category can contain products with very different duties. The rate depends on the specific product — its material and construction — and on the country of origin, and those only get pinned down at the 8-digit code level. That is why this page points you to codes instead of showing one rate for the whole category.
Product codes & duty rates
👇 Each row is a specific product code — click a blue code to open its full page with exact duty rates by country, the rate-history chart, and a duty calculator. 👉
| Code | Description | General (MFN) | Special | Column 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0308.11.00.00 👉 | Live, fresh or chilled | Free | — | Free |
| 0308.12.00.00 👉 | Frozen | Free | — | Free |
| 0308.19.01.00 👉 | Other | Free | — | Free |
| 0308.21.00 👉 | Live, fresh or chilled | Free | — | Free |
| 0308.22.00.00 👉 | Frozen | Free | — | Free |
| 0308.29.01.00 👉 | Other | Free | — | Free |
| 0308.30.00.00 👉 | Jellyfish (Rhopilema spp.) | Free | — | Free |
| 0308.90.01.00 👉 | Other | Free | — | Free |
"Special" shows the free-trade-agreement rate; open a code to see exactly which countries qualify.
Common questions
What products fall under HTS heading 0308?
Aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs, live, fresh, chilled, frozen, dried, salted or in brine; smoked aquatic invertebrates other than crustaceans and molluscs, whether or not cooked before or during the smoking process. To classify a specific item you must pick the matching sub-category and 8-digit code above; the right choice usually depends on the material and construction of the product.
How do I choose the right code within this category?
Start from the sub-categories (typically divided by material—for example cotton versus man-made fibers), then open the active 8- or 10-digit code that matches the product. When unsure, a licensed customs broker or a CBP binding ruling can confirm the classification.
Reference information only, not customs, legal, or classification advice. Confirm the current code and rate against the official HTS before you import.