Heading · Chapter 16
1604: Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs
12 subheadings make up heading 1604 in chapter 16 (preparations of meat, of fish, of crustaceans, molluscs or other aquatic…).
Duty rates compared
UK 4% – 25% Third-country duty 107 tariff lines · average 17.6% 
EU 5.5% – 25% Third-country duty 42 tariff lines · average 19.3% 
Türkiye 80% – 81.9% Third-country duty 45 tariff lines · average 80.1% 
USA Free – 35% General (MFN) 48 tariff lines · average 5.2% · 1× specific or compound duty 
Canada Free – 11% Third-country duty 32 tariff lines · average 5.5% 
Mexico Free – 20% Third-country duty 30 tariff lines · average 17.3% 
Brazil 14.4% – 32% Third-country duty 18 tariff lines · average 15.4% 
Argentina 16% Third-country duty 55 tariff lines 
Peru Free Third-country duty 18 tariff lines 
New Zealand Free – 5% Third-country duty 39 tariff lines · average 2% 
Japan 6.4% – 11% Third-country duty 23 tariff lines · average 9.1% 
Taiwan 7% – 40% Third-country duty 80 tariff lines · average 18% 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 15 tariff lines 
Switzerland Free Third-country duty 21 tariff lines · 9× specific or compound duty 
Norway Free Third-country duty 27 tariff lines 
North Macedonia Free Third-country duty 42 tariff lines 
Nigeria 20% Third-country duty 13 tariff lines Subheadings 12
- 1604.11Fish, whole or in pieces, but not minced: salmon
- 1604.12Fish, whole or in pieces, but not minced: herring
- 1604.13Sardines, sardinella and brisling or spratsPrepared sardines and sprats
- 1604.14Tunas, skipjack tuna and bonito (Sarda spp.)Prepared or preserved tuna
- 1604.15Fish, whole or in pieces, but not minced: mackerel
- 1604.16Fish, whole or in pieces, but not minced: anchovies
- 1604.17Fish, whole or in pieces, but not minced: eels
- 1604.18Fish, whole or in pieces, but not minced: shark fins
- 1604.19Fish, whole or in pieces, but not minced: otherOther prepared or preserved fish
- 1604.20Other prepared or preserved fishOther prepared fish (fish balls, minced)
- 1604.31Caviar and caviar substitutes: caviar
- 1604.32Caviar and caviar substitutes: caviar substitutes
EU: imports by month
World trade in 2024
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$4mUS$4m+US$65m+US$288m+> US$913m
Exports: 173
- China: US$3bn
- Thailand: US$3bn
- Ecuador: US$2bn
- Spain: US$1bn
- Morocco: US$913m
- Poland: US$889m
- Germany: US$805m
- Vietnam: US$797m
- Indonesia: US$546m
- Italy: US$432m
- Philippines: US$401m
- Netherlands: US$385m
- Portugal: US$367m
- Denmark: US$345m
- Lithuania: US$311m
- Mauritius: US$299m
- United States: US$288m
- France: US$273m
- Papua New Guinea: US$256m
- Seychelles: US$237m
- Japan: US$188m
- Latvia: US$179m
- Malaysia: US$169m
- Canada: US$158m
- Peru: US$155m
- Ghana: US$145m
- South Korea: US$136m
- Belgium: US$110m
- India: US$107m
- Sweden: US$103m
- Türkiye: US$101m
- El Salvador: US$99m
- Colombia: US$97m
- Solomon Islands: US$88m
- United Kingdom: US$87m
- Norway: US$87m
- Chile: US$86m
- Senegal: US$85m
- Mexico: US$80m
- Côte d’Ivoire: US$70m
- Russia: US$65m
- Iceland: US$63m
- Costa Rica: US$61m
- Cape Verde: US$58m
- Taiwan: US$58m
- Croatia: US$57m
- Madagascar: US$56m
- Fiji: US$55m
- Tunisia: US$55m
- Guatemala: US$51m
- Czechia: US$46m
- South Africa: US$44m
- Estonia: US$42m
- Albania: US$40m
- Maldives: US$40m
- Singapore: US$38m
- Brazil: US$33m
- Slovenia: US$28m
- Ireland: US$25m
- Austria: US$24m
Trade value (US$) no reported trade < US$12mUS$12m+US$58m+US$185m+> US$1bn
Imports: 221
- United States: US$2bn
- Japan: US$2bn
- Italy: US$1bn
- Spain: US$1bn
- Germany: US$1bn
- France: US$1bn
- United Kingdom: US$1bn
- Netherlands: US$613m
- Australia: US$505m
- Mexico: US$464m
- Canada: US$392m
- Thailand: US$360m
- Saudi Arabia: US$348m
- Portugal: US$312m
- Belgium: US$309m
- Israel: US$250m
- Poland: US$244m
- South Korea: US$228m
- Austria: US$226m
- Libya: US$209m
- United Arab Emirates: US$200m
- Switzerland: US$193m
- Hong Kong SAR China: US$185m
- Chile: US$181m
- Sweden: US$175m
- Denmark: US$170m
- Colombia: US$157m
- Taiwan: US$154m
- Egypt: US$154m
- Czechia: US$152m
- Russia: US$141m
- Malaysia: US$135m
- Singapore: US$133m
- Romania: US$131m
- South Africa: US$122m
- Ukraine: US$115m
- Algeria: US$114m
- Argentina: US$114m
- Finland: US$104m
- China: US$101m
- Ghana: US$99m
- Peru: US$98m
- Vietnam: US$96m
- Dominican Republic: US$90m
- Ireland: US$87m
- Norway: US$85m
- Greece: US$81m
- Slovakia: US$80m
- Serbia: US$74m
- New Zealand: US$72m
- Hungary: US$71m
- Venezuela: US$66m
- Croatia: US$65m
- Costa Rica: US$63m
- Morocco: US$62m
- Panama: US$58m
- Lithuania: US$57m
- Kazakhstan: US$52m
- Nigeria: US$51m
- Cambodia: US$50m
Top exporters
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  China | US$3bn | 16.9% |
| 2 |  Thailand | US$3bn | 15.7% |
| 3 |  Ecuador | US$2bn | 7.6% |
| 4 |  Spain | US$1bn | 5.9% |
| 5 |  Morocco | US$913m | 4.4% |
| 6 |  Poland | US$889m | 4.3% |
| 7 |  Germany | US$805m | 3.9% |
| 8 |  Vietnam | US$797m | 3.9% |
| 9 |  Indonesia | US$546m | 2.7% |
| 10 |  Italy | US$432m | 2.1% |
Top importers
| Rank | Country | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | US$2bn | 10.9% |
| 2 | Japan | US$2bn | 8% |
| 3 | Italy | US$1bn | 7% |
| 4 | Spain | US$1bn | 6.3% |
| 5 | Germany | US$1bn | 5.7% |
| 6 |  France | US$1bn | 5.7% |
| 7 | United Kingdom | US$1bn | 4.9% |
| 8 |  Netherlands | US$613m | 3% |
| 9 |  Australia | US$505m | 2.5% |
| 10 | Mexico | US$464m | 2.3% |
Recent rule changes mentioning this code
Acts whose text cites this code or its heading. Check the act itself: a code can be cited for reasons other than a change of its duty.
- Rules of origin · Applies from:
CELEX 22026D0498 · Source: eur-lex.europa.eu
In the UK Global Tariff, heading 1604 covers 107 tariff lines and the duty is between 4% and 25%.
The EU Combined Nomenclature divides heading 1604 into 42 tariff lines; the duty is between 5.5% and 25% (average 19.3%).
In the Turkish Customs Tariff Schedule, heading 1604 covers 45 tariff lines and the duty is between 80% and 81.9%.
The Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States divides heading 1604 into 48 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 35% (average 5.2%). 17 of them are duty-free. 1 line has a specific or compound duty.
In the Customs Tariff of Canada, heading 1604 covers 32 tariff lines and the duty is between 0% and 11%. 3 of them are duty-free.
The Mexican Tariff (TIGIE) divides heading 1604 into 30 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 20% (average 17.3%). 4 of them are duty-free.
In the Brazilian Tariff (NCM/TEC), heading 1604 covers 18 tariff lines and the duty is between 14.4% and 32%.
The Argentine Tariff (NCM-SIM) divides heading 1604 into 55 tariff lines; the duty is 16%.
In the Customs Tariff of Peru, heading 1604 covers 18 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Working Tariff Document of New Zealand divides heading 1604 into 39 tariff lines; the duty is between 0% and 5% (average 2%). 23 of them are duty-free.
In the Customs Tariff Schedules of Japan, heading 1604 covers 23 tariff lines and the duty is between 6.4% and 11%.
The Customs Import Tariff of Taiwan divides heading 1604 into 80 tariff lines; the duty is between 7% and 40% (average 18%).
In the GCC Common Customs Tariff, heading 1604 covers 15 tariff lines and the duty is 5%.
The Swiss Customs Tariff (Tares) divides heading 1604 into 21 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free. 12 of them are duty-free. 9 lines have a specific or compound duty.
In the Customs Tariff of Norway, heading 1604 covers 27 tariff lines and the duty is duty-free.
The Customs Tariff of North Macedonia divides heading 1604 into 42 tariff lines; the duty is duty-free.
In the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (Nigeria), heading 1604 covers 13 tariff lines and the duty is 20%.
World trade in heading 1604 goods reached US$21bn in 2024, up 3.7% on 2023.
China was the largest exporter with 16.9% of the total, ahead of Thailand.
The United States imported the most (US$2bn).
The United Kingdom ranked 35th among 173 exporters with US$87m.
The United Kingdom imported US$1bn.
Legal notes
Subheading notes
1. For the purposes of subheading 160210, the expression ‘homogenised preparations’ means preparations of meat, meat offal, blood or insects, finely homogenised, put up for retail sale as food suitable for infants or young children or for dietetic purposes, in containers of a net weight content not exceeding 250 g. For the application of this definition, no account is to be taken of small quantities of any ingredients which may have been added to the preparation for seasoning, preservation or other purposes. These preparations may contain a small quantity of visible pieces of meat, meat offal or insects. This subheading takes precedence over all other subheadings of heading 1602.
2. The fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates specified in the subheadings of heading 1604 or 1605 under their common names only, are of the same species as those mentioned in Chapter 3 under the same name.
Products classified here
Questions and answers
What is the HS code for prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs?
Prepared or preserved fish; caviar and caviar substitutes prepared from fish eggs fall under HS heading 1604, part of chapter 16, in section IV of the Harmonized System.
What is the import duty on prepared or preserved fish in the UK?
Under the UK Global Tariff, imports under 1604 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 4% to 25%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
What is the import duty on prepared or preserved fish in the EU?
Under the EU Combined Nomenclature, imports under 1604 from countries without a preferential agreement are charged at 5.5% to 25%, depending on the line. Preferential rates, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Which country exports the most prepared or preserved fish?
China, with US$3bn in 2024 (16.9% of world exports).