HS code lookup
Heading 0902 is unusual because packaging size, not only the leaf, chooses the code. The same fermented tea is 090230 in a retail box and 090240 in a bulk sack.
| HS code (6-digit) | Official description |
|---|---|
| 0902.30 | Tea, black; (fermented) and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content not exceeding 3kg |
| 0902.40 | Tea, black; (fermented) and partly fermented tea, in immediate packings of a content exceeding 3kg |
The first six digits are the same worldwide. Countries add their own further digits, and duty, licensing and statistics follow the national line, so confirm it in the destination tariff before quoting. Source: UN Comtrade HS nomenclature.
Tea is a short heading with only four subheadings. Green, unfermented tea is 090210 in immediate packings of up to 3kg and 090220 above that. Black, fermented and partly fermented tea is 090230 in immediate packings up to 3kg and 090240 above.
Black tea therefore takes 090230 when it arrives in small retail or foodservice packs and 090240 when it arrives in sacks or chests for blending or repacking. The immediate packing is the container in direct contact with the tea, not the outer carton, so a pallet of retail boxes is still 090230.
Orthodox leaf, crush-tear-curl grades, broken leaf and dust all remain in the same lines, since the heading concerns the fermentation stage and pack, not grade. Partly fermented tea, such as oolong, shares the black tea lines, which is worth remembering when reading trade statistics.
Flavoured black tea, where scenting or blending with other tea is the only step, generally stays in heading 0902. Instant tea extracts, ready-to-drink tea and herbal infusions with no tea leaf are outside the heading. Tea bags containing tea are still tea, so the bag weight puts them in the small-pack line.
Search 090240 to see bulk buyers: blenders, packers and auction buyers. Search 090230 for finished-pack flows to distributors and brand owners. Because the split is by pack size, a country importing mostly under 090240 is a raw-material market, while one importing under 090230 is buying finished goods.
Duty, labelling and residue limits attach to the national eight-digit line and the destination’s food rules. Confirm current conditions with the importing customs authority before you quote.
Black tea uses 090230 when packed in immediate packings not exceeding 3kg and 090240 when the packing exceeds 3kg. Both sit in heading 0902.
The limit refers to the immediate packing, which touches the tea. Retail boxes packed in a large carton still count as small packs.
Partly fermented tea shares the black tea lines, 090230 and 090240. Green, unfermented tea has its own lines, 090210 and 090220.
Tea bags holding tea are still in heading 0902, and the small-pack line applies when each bag or pack is within the weight limit. Confirm with your customs broker.
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