HTS Chapter 19: Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks' products
HTS Chapter 19 covers Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks' products. Browse 4 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 19 of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) covers many prepared foods made from cereals, flour, starch, malt extract, dairy-based ingredients, and baked goods. Common examples include food mixes and preparations in heading 1901, pasta and couscous in 1902, prepared or roasted cereal foods in 1904, and bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits, wafers, and similar bakery products in 1905.
The HTS is read from broad to specific: chapter, heading, subheading, and then the complete 10-digit statistical number. Start with the product’s ingredients, physical form, processing, and intended food use, then compare the wording and legal notes for the possible headings and subheadings. Classification can depend on details such as cocoa content, whether pasta is stuffed, the type of cereal, packaging, and whether another chapter or heading specifically covers the product. When the wording or exclusions are difficult, a customs broker or binding ruling may be needed.
What to check
- Review the complete ingredient formula, including flour, starch, dairy ingredients, cocoa, fillings, sweeteners, and flavorings; composition can change the classification.
- Identify the product’s physical form and processing, such as dried or cooked pasta, stuffed pasta, roasted or swollen cereal, or baked goods; do not classify by marketing name alone.
- Check the legal notes and heading exclusions to confirm that another HTS provision does not cover the product more specifically, especially for preparations containing meat, pharmaceutical items, or other specially described goods.
- Follow the subheading structure through every level and verify the final 10-digit code using the current official HTS and statistical descriptions.
- Check whether a separate Chapter 99 provision, trade remedy, quota, or other additional measure applies to the origin and product, and confirm any required documentation with a customs professional.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 1901 | Malt extract; food preparations of flour, groats, meal, starch or malt extract, not containing cocoa or containing less than 40 percent by weight of cocoa calculated on a totally defatted basis, not elsewhere specified or included; food preparations of goods of headings 0401 to 0404, not containing cocoa or containing less than 5 percent by weight of cocoa calculated on a totally defatted basis, not elsewhere specified or included: | 0 |
| 1902 | Pasta, whether or not cooked or stuffed (with meat or other substances) or otherwise prepared, such as spaghetti, macaroni, noodles, lasagna, gnocchi, ravioli, cannelloni; couscous, whether or not prepared: | 2 |
| 1904 | Prepared foods obtained by the swelling or roasting of cereals or cereal products (for example, cornflakes); cereals (other than corn (maize)) in grain form or in the form of flakes or other worked grains (except flour, groats and meal), pre-cooked or otherwise prepared, not elsewhere specified or included: | 2 |
| 1905 | Bread, pastry, cakes, biscuits and other bakers' wares, whether or not containing cocoa; communion wafers, empty capsules of a kind suitable for pharmaceutical use, sealing wafers, rice paper and similar products: | 0 |
Linked measures
0 linked measure entries in the current snapshot.
Questions about HTS Chapter 19
What does HTS Chapter 19 cover?
HTS Chapter 19 covers Preparations of cereals, flour, starch or milk; pastrycooks' products. 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 19 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.