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HS 0409.00Agriculture

HS Code for Natural Honey (HS 0409.00)

One of the most adulterated commodities in global trade - EU JRC 2023 sampling found 46% of imported honey suspicious. Directive 2024/1438 ("Breakfast Directive" revision) mandates country-of-origin on the front label and tightens NMR/EA-IRMS testing. Argentina, India, Ukraine, Mexico and China lead exports.

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules3 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
0409.00Natural honey
1702.90Sugar syrup - watch for TBML honey adulteration flow
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
European Union
17.3%
MFN; 0% under GSP for many origins. Anti-dumping on Chinese honey historically.
United States
1.9 cents/kg + AD
AD orders on China, Argentina, India (partial), Vietnam.
Japan
25.5%

Worked landed-cost example

22 MT bulk drum honey ELA-grade, FOB Buenos Aires USD 2.40/kg, CIF Hamburg

FOBUSD 52,800
Freight + insuranceUSD 2,400
CIFUSD 55,200
EU duty 17.3%USD 9,550
VAT 7% DE (reduced food rate)USD 4,533
DE landed USD 69,283 (~USD 3.15/kg).
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · EU Directive 2024/1438 - country-of-origin labelling.
  • · Codex Alimentarius CXS 12-1981 (honey standard).
  • · EU Reg 2073/2005 - Clostridium botulinum controls.
Top exporting countries
  • · Argentina
  • · China
  • · India
  • · Ukraine
  • · Mexico

Frequently asked questions

Why is honey duty so high in the EU?

0409 attracts the standard sensitive-agri MFN of 17.3% to protect the ~200,000 EU apiculturists. Preferential access under GSP+ (Ukraine, Georgia) and EBA (Bangladesh, Ethiopia) can bring it to zero.

Destination market toolkits

Country-specific duty, VAT/GST and Incoterms practice for the top destinations for agriculture.

Import into India →
IGST on imports · 5% / 12% / 18% / 28%
Import into China →
Import VAT · 13% standard, 9% reduced, 6% services
Import into United States →
No federal VAT / GST · 0% federal
Import into United Kingdom →
VAT · 20% standard, 5% reduced, 0% zero-rated
Import into Germany →
VAT (Umsatzsteuer / Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) · 19% standard, 7% reduced
Import into Vietnam →
VAT · 10% standard, 5% reduced, 0% export

Agriculture landed-cost pages: every destination market

Jump straight to the agriculture import guide for any of the destination markets we cover.

Related commodity guides

HS 1201Agriculture
HS Code for Soybeans (HS 1201) - EUDR Guide →
HS 2304Agriculture
HS Code for Soybean Meal (HS 2304.00) →
HS 0901.11Agriculture
HS Code for Robusta Coffee (HS 0901.11) →
HS 1805Agriculture
HS Code for Cocoa Powder (HS 1805.00) →

Related tools

HS Code Lookup →
Search harmonised codes across 21 sections.
Import Duty & Tax →
Landed cost with duty, VAT/GST and cess.
Landed Cost by HS & Country →
Duty + VAT/GST + Incoterm split for this HS.
CIF ↔ FOB Converter →
Convert customs value between Incoterms.

Sources & citations

Duty rates and regulations compiled from WCO HS, WTO integrated database, national customs authorities and published FTA schedules. Provided for decision-support only - confirm the 10-digit line and current preferential status with your licensed customs broker before acting.

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