Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States · HTS code · HS 0303.53
0303.53.00: Sardines (Sardina pilchardus, Sardinops spp.), sardinella (Sardinella spp.), brisling or sprats (Sprattus sprattus)
Not declarable on its own: use one of its 1 subdivisions Data: Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States · checked on 24 October 2026
- 0303 Fish, frozen, excluding fish fillets and other fish meat of heading 0304:
- Herrings (Clupea harengus, Clupea pallasii), anchovies (Engraulis spp.), sardines (Sardina pilchardus, Sardinops spp.), sardinella (Sardinella spp.), brisling or sprats (Sprattus sprattus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus, Scomber australasicus, Scomber japonicus), Indian mackerels (Rastrelliger spp.), seerfishes (Scomberomorus spp.), jack and horse mackerel (Trachurus spp.), jacks, crevalles (Caranx spp.), cobia (Rachycentron canadum), silver pomfrets (Pampus spp.), Pacific saury (Cololabis saira), scads (Decapterus spp.), capelin (Mallotus villosus), swordfish (Xiphias gladius), Kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis), bonitos (Sarda spp.), marlins, sailfishes, spearfish (Istiophoridae), excluding edible fish offal of subheadings 0303.91 to 0303.99:
- 0303.53.00 Sardines (Sardina pilchardus, Sardinops spp.), sardinella (Sardinella spp.), brisling or sprats (Sprattus sprattus)
What you pay
Importing into USA
US additional duties of HTS chapter 99 in force on 22 October 2026 are included (Section 301, 232, 338 and 201). IEEPA duties are no longer collected after the Supreme Court ruling of February 2026. Conditional exemptions (US content, end use, metal share) are not computed: check the provision.
Additional duties and import rules
Charges on top of the customs duty, and rules the goods must meet at the border.
Additional duties and charges 1
- Additional dutySection 301 — China — technology transfer, IP and innovation (2018 actions and 2024 four-year review) 25%
- Applies to goods from
- China
- In force
- from 24 September 2018
- Legal act
- HTSUS 9903.88.03
Preferential rates by country
| Agreement or scheme | Countries | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| General (MFN) | — | 1.1¢/kg |
| US–Australia FTA AU | Australia | Free |
| US–Bahrain FTA BH | Bahrain | Free |
| US–Chile FTA CL | Chile | Free |
| US–Colombia TPA CO | Colombia | Free |
| US–Israel FTA IL | Israel | Free |
| US–Jordan FTA JO | Jordan | Free |
| US–Korea FTA KR | South Korea | Free |
| US–Morocco FTA MA | Morocco | Free |
| US–Oman FTA OM | Oman | Free |
| CAFTA-DR P | Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua | Free |
| US–Panama TPA PA | Panama | Free |
| US–Peru TPA PE | Peru | Free |
| USMCA S | Canada, Mexico | Free |
| US–Singapore FTA SG | Singapore | Free |
| Column 2 | Cuba, North Korea, Russia, Belarus | 2.2¢/kg |
Special: reduced rates under trade agreements and preference programmes; the letters in brackets name the programmes (for example AU = Australia FTA, KR = Korea FTA).
Same subheading in other tariffs
UK 12% – 20% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines · average 15.3% 
EU 15% – 23% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines · average 19% 
Türkiye 30% Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Canada Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Mexico 15% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Brazil 9% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Argentina 9% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Peru Free Third-country duty 2 tariff lines 
New Zealand Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Japan 3.5% – 10% Third-country duty 2 tariff lines · average 6.8% 
Taiwan 30% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
GCC 5% Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Switzerland Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
Norway Free Third-country duty 1 tariff line 
North Macedonia Free Third-country duty 3 tariff lines 
Nigeria 10% Third-country duty 1 tariff line Legal notes
HTS code 0303.53.00 is a line of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States under HS subheading 0303.53 (sardines (Sardina pilchardus, Sardinops spp.), sardinella (Sardinella spp.)…).
The general duty is a specific or compound duty: 1.1¢/kg.
For the same subheading, the UK duty is 12%–20%, the EU duty is 15%–23%, the Türkiye duty is 30%, the Canada duty is free, the Mexico duty is 15%, the Brazil duty is 9%, the Argentina duty is 9%, the Peru duty is free, the New Zealand duty is free, the Japan duty is 3.5%–10%, the Taiwan duty is 30%, the GCC duty is 5%, the Switzerland duty is free, the Norway duty is free, the North Macedonia duty is free and the Nigeria duty is 10%.
The United States imported goods of subheading 0303.53 worth US$7m in 2024; the largest supplier was Mexico.
Questions and answers
What is the USA import duty for HTS code 0303.53.00?
The general duty in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States is 1.1¢/kg; the supplementary unit is kg. Preferential rates for goods from agreement countries, anti-dumping duties and VAT are not included.
Is there a lower rate for 0303.53.00 under US trade agreements?
Yes. The Special column reads “Free (A*,AU, BH, CL, CO,D,E, IL, JO, KR, MA, OM,P, PA, PE,S, SG)”: the letters in brackets name the agreements and programmes that grant it.
Where does the United States import these goods from?
For subheading 0303.53 as a whole, the largest supplier in 2024 was Mexico (US$4m), followed by Portugal.