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HS 0902Agricultural commodities

HS Code for Tea (HS 0902)

Tea splits by heading 0902 by fermentation state and package size: 0902.10 green tea <=3kg, 0902.20 green tea >3kg, 0902.30 black fermented <=3kg, 0902.40 black fermented >3kg. Kenya, India, Sri Lanka, and China dominate export supply.

Reviewed against WCO HS · WTO IDB · National customs schedules2 authoritative sourcesLast reviewed July 2026

Sample 6-digit codes

CodeDescription
0902.10Green tea (not fermented) in immediate packings <= 3kg
0902.20Green tea, other
0902.30Black tea (fermented) in immediate packings <= 3kg
0902.40Black tea (fermented), other
Need to check a specific code? Use the free HS code lookup tool.

Typical import duty by market

MarketDuty
European Union
0%
MFN 0%; strict pesticide MRL enforcement.
United States
0%
United Kingdom
0%
World's largest per-capita tea market.
Russia
12.5%
Historically a large tea importer.
Pakistan
11%
Second-largest importer; mainly Kenya.

Worked landed-cost example

20 MT Kenya CTC (bulk 40kg papersacks), FOB Mombasa USD 2,900/MT, CIF Karachi

FOB valueUSD 58,000
Freight + insuranceUSD 4,500
CIF valueUSD 62,500
Pakistan duty @ 11%USD 6,875
GST @ 17%USD 11,794
Landed cost ≈ USD 81,169. Priced via Mombasa Tea Auction weekly - the world's largest black tea auction.
Run your own numbers in the import duty & tax calculator.
Regulatory checkpoints
  • · ISO 3720 - black tea specifications (moisture, water extract, total ash).
  • · EU pesticide MRLs - anthraquinone, tricyclazole, hexaconazole - repeated Indian / Sri Lankan RASFF rejections.
  • · China GB 2763 - equivalent MRL framework.
  • · Fair Trade / Rainforest Alliance certifications drive retail pricing.
  • · US FDA import alerts on non-conforming pesticide levels.
Top exporting countries
  • · Kenya
  • · India (Assam, Darjeeling)
  • · Sri Lanka
  • · China
  • · Vietnam
  • · Argentina

Frequently asked questions

CTC vs orthodox tea?

CTC = Crush, Tear, Curl - fast, produces small granular tea for tea-bags. Orthodox = traditional whole-leaf processing - premium loose tea. India produces both; Kenya is almost 100% CTC. Same HS code.

Why do Sri Lankan and Indian teas face EU rejections?

Anthraquinone (from packaging or drying practice) and residual acaricides/fungicides above EU MRLs. RASFF alerts have driven origin-level testing regimes. Certified sources with plot-level chemical records pass reliably.

Destination market toolkits

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

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

Agricultural commodities landed-cost pages: every destination market

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

Related commodity guides

HS 17Agricultural commodities
HS Code for Sugar (Chapter 17) →
HS 10Agricultural commodities
HS Code for Wheat (Chapter 10) →
HS 12Agricultural commodities
HS Code for Soybeans, Meal & Oil (Chapters 12, 15 and 23) →
HS 52Agricultural commodities
HS Code for Raw Cotton and Yarn (Chapter 52) →

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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