HTS Chapter 15: Animal or vegetable fats, oils and their cleavage products; waxes
HTS Chapter 15 covers Animal or vegetable fats, oils and their cleavage products; waxes. Browse 15 published headings, then narrow to the active product line that matches the goods.
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.
Chapter 15 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) generally covers animal, vegetable, and microbial fats and oils, along with certain fractions, processed fats, and edible preparations. Examples include lard and other animal fats, fish oils, soybean and olive oil, palm and coconut oil, hydrogenated fats, and margarine. Many headings distinguish the source of the oil and whether it has been refined or chemically modified.
The HTS is read from broad to specific: chapter, heading, subheading, and then the complete 10-digit statistical reporting number. A product may begin in Chapter 15 but its final code depends on details such as the source material, composition, processing, whether it is a blend, and whether it is intended as an edible preparation. Classification can be technical, so confirm uncertain results with the current HTS, relevant notes, and a customs professional or binding ruling process.
What to check
- Identify the fat or oil source, such as animal, fish, soybean, olive, palm, or another plant or microbial source, and document the composition.
- Check the product’s processing stage: refined, chemically modified, hydrogenated, blended, or further prepared products may fall under different headings.
- Review Chapter 15 notes and exclusions, including references to other headings for products that may appear similar but are classified elsewhere.
- Use the heading, subheading, and statistical suffix descriptions together; do not classify from the product name alone, and verify any applicable unit-of-measure requirements.
- Check the current HTS, Chapter 99 provisions, and other applicable measures for additional duties or special treatment, and obtain broker or ruling guidance when composition or classification is unclear.
How to use this chapter
A chapter is the first classification level, not a duty rate. Choose the heading that describes the product, narrow by material, construction, use, or other legal distinctions, and verify the final line against the official HTS notes.
Heading list
| HTS code | Description | Linked 8-digit entries |
|---|---|---|
| 1501 | Pig fat (including lard) and poultry fat, other than that of heading 0209 or 1503: | 1 |
| 1502 | Fats of bovine animals, sheep or goats, other than those of heading 1503: | 1 |
| 1504 | Fats and oils and their fractions, of fish or marine mammals, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 0 |
| 1507 | Soybean oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 0 |
| 1508 | Peanut (ground-nut) oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 0 |
| 1509 | Olive oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 0 |
| 1510 | Other oils and their fractions, obtained solely from olives, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified, including blends of these oils and fractions with oils or fractions of heading 1509: | 0 |
| 1511 | Palm oil and its fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 0 |
| 1512 | Sunflower-seed, safflower or cottonseed oil, and fractions thereof, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 3 |
| 1513 | Coconut (copra), palm kernel or babassu oil, and fractions thereof, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 1 |
| 1514 | Rapeseed, colza or mustard oil, and fractions thereof, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 0 |
| 1515 | Other fixed vegetable or microbial fats and oils (including jojoba oil) and their fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified: | 1 |
| 1516 | Animal, vegetable or microbial fats and oils and their fractions, partly or wholly hydrogenated, inter-esterified, re-esterified or elaidinized, whether or not refined, but not further prepared: | 0 |
| 1517 | Margarine; edible mixtures or preparations of animal, vegetable or microbial fats or oils or of fractions of different fats or oils of this chapter, other than edible fats or oils or their fractions of heading 1516: | 0 |
| 1521 | Vegetable waxes (other than triglycerides), beeswax, other insect waxes and spermaceti, whether or not refined or colored: | 1 |
Linked measures
0 linked measure entries in the current snapshot.
Questions about HTS Chapter 15
What does HTS Chapter 15 cover?
HTS Chapter 15 covers Animal or vegetable fats, oils and their cleavage products; waxes. This page groups the chapter’s 4-digit headings; a shipment still needs the most specific active 8- or 10-digit line supported by the product facts.
Is HTS Chapter 15 a final product classification?
No. A chapter is a broad 2-digit category. Narrow it to the applicable heading and the most specific active statistical line before estimating duty or filing an entry.